Hope Springs Eternal
by stocktonwood
Summary: Jack Frost has found that being a Guardian is like being part of a family. North is like a father, Tooth is like an aunt and Sandy is like an uncle. For the life of him, Jack doesn't know what Bunny is but he's determined to figure it out. Ch.10/11: Bunny makes a decision, Sandy makes a mistake, and Jack Frost learns there's more to the Easter Bunny than Easter.
1. A father, an aunt, an uncle and a Bunny

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" nor any of the characters who appear in "Rise of the Guardians," I just like to play with 'em every once in a while. Bunny and all "Rise of the Guardians" characters belong to William Joyce and Dreamworks Animation.

* * *

**Chapter One: A Father, an Aunt, an Uncle and a Bunny**

**In which the investigation begins and Jack Frost is the lucky beneficiary of a happy coincidence  
**

Being a Guardian had its perks.

For the first time in three hundred years Jack Frost knew exactly who he was and exactly what he was meant to do.

To top it off, he'd acquired a handful of honest to goodness believers and even more exciting; he'd found a family.

In North he'd found a father; strong and as patient as he was kind. It was to him that Jack went when he felt anxious and overwhelmed by his new duties and it was North who would clap him on the shoulder and declare that all would be well, he would see and then he'd steer Jack into his workshop and regale him with tales of his own steep learning curve until Jack smiled and realized that yeah, he was a Guardian.

In Tooth he'd found a dizzy aunt; indulgent, lovely and far wiser than she let on. It was to her that he went when he felt lonely and sad, when he missed his sister and yearned to see her once more. On these occasions, Tooth would stroke his cheek sadly and sit with him while he watched memories of him and his sister float by.

Jack would smile then and though he would miss her forever, he would never regret the sacrifice he had made for her.

Constance was his center and though North had led him to find her, it was Tooth who was the Guardian of her memory and as such, the Guardian of his center and for this, Jack was forever grateful.

And if Tooth was his beloved aunt, then Sandy was a cherished uncle.

Ever ready with a kind smile or a calming touch, Sandy was peace personified. A few moments in his presence and all of Jack's coiled energy seemed to loosen and settle into a languid tranquility. It was Sandy who knew his dreams and it was Sandy who protected them. And while the tiny Guardian didn't look like much, Jack knew from experience that he was as formidable of a protector as any other and this understated strength made Jack love him even more.

In his more introspective moments, Jack would even admit his desire to be more like the golden little sprite.

And then there was Bunny, who was something else entirely.

Jack wasn't exactly sure what role Bunny filled in his strange new family.

Of the four, Bunny was the one with whom he'd spent the least amount of time since he had become a Guardian. But it was not because Bunny had been unkind or unwelcoming.

In fact, since the day they'd defeated Pitch, Bunny had seemed to go out of his way to be kind to the newest Guardian. He never made snide comments about Jack's lack of believers, didn't call him out on his inexperience and even seemed to make an extra effort to reign in his temper when Jack insisted on provoking him.

And for the most part, he and Bunny were getting along fine. There was the odd disagreement or two (or three or four, or ten, but who was counting?) but to be fair they were mostly the result of Jack's incessant provocations and though Jack would still claim that Bunny needed to work on his sense of humor; on most days he was more than willing to admit that he deserved the brunt of the blame in those situations.

Bunny never instigated the fights, but he could hardly be blamed if he occasionally lost his patience when Jack pushed things just a little too far (which, to be honest, he often did).

But to Jack it was all in good fun and at any rate Bunny never seemed to hold a grudge.

To be sure, he was never as effusive as Toothy or North or even Sandy when Jack appeared at meetings, but he would throw a crooked little half-smile or nod in Jack's direction and Jack would grin back, happy to be seen and happy to be acknowledged.

And though Bunny never asked Jack to visit the warren or to help in the preparations for Easter, Jack took no offense. Because really, Bunny didn't invite _**anyone **_to do any of those things

At the end of every meeting as the rest of them were chatting aimlessly, Bunny would simply stretch his long legs, decline North's standing invitation to stay the night, shoot the room a lazy salute and a quick "Hooroo," and be on his way.

At first Jack had thought that Bunny was being aloof, but when the other Guardians didn't seem to take any offense, he decided that perhaps it was just Bunny's way.

And yet as months passed Jack found that his lack of relationship with Bunnymund had became a point of increasing frustration.

Whereas slowly but surely Jack was learning more and more about his fellow Guardians, Bunnymund remained a mystery.

Not only did Jack wonder about what place Bunny might hold within his strange and fledgling family but truth be told he also wondered about what role Bunny played as a Guardian as well.

Sure, he was a great warrior, but weren't they all?

There had to be _**something **_more than that.

After all, North brought the children of the world both wonder and joy. He instilled these feelings deep within them with the gift of their first miraculous present and then he nurtured those feelings every year that he returned.

Tooth protected their memories; the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, each and every one of them, preserved for all time until the moment the child needed them most.

And Sandy; well that one was pretty obvious. He watched over them in sleep, he brought them peace and sprang their dreams to life each and every night.

And Jack, well Jack's contribution was even more obvious. He brought them snow and ice, cancelled classes and carefree days filled with mischief and hot cocoa. He nurtured in children their love of play, delight and most of all, fun.

But Bunny…..

Bunny brought them eggs.

Well, eggs and chocolates, which Jack had to admit, were pretty incredible but still…..

Bunny had told him once that Easter represented hope and new life and while Jack had to admit that watching the big kangaroo prepare Easter had been pretty impressive, he was still a little unclear on how exactly giving kids a basketful of eggs and candies could bring them hope.

The mystery of Bunnymund was like an itch he couldn't scratch and it gnawed at him with every passing day.

Every dry rejoinder from the bunny, every lopsided half-smile and every vague reference to a job he needed to get back to made Jack increasingly determined to figure out just what exactly Bunny was, both as a Guardian and otherwise.

So, he started his investigation as discreetly as possible, by asking around.

Here and there he dropped innocent little questions to his fellow Guardians, eager to discover what they might know about the mysterious Bunnymund and for his efforts he was rewarded with a variety of interesting (if somewhat mundane) little morsels about their resident bunny.

For starters, his full name was E. Aster Bunnymund (adorable!) he had been a Guardian for a very long time (okay), he was a great artist (figures!), he loved carrots (duh!) and he was a master chocolatier (also duh!).

Some of the more interesting facts were that Bunny was; officially the Guardian of Hope (still didn't make complete sense to Jack), a master of several martial arts (cool!), a brilliant inventor (really?) and a Pooka (huh?).

The last little tidbit had come from North and something about the way he'd looked slightly shocked after he'd said it and then quickly changed the subject told Jack that he was on to something important.

A few weeks later, when Jack asked the normally loquacious Tooth what a Pooka was and she had replied that Bunny was a Pooka and had left it at that, Jack knew that he was definitely onto something good.

Unfortunately, when he'd tried to bring it up with Sandy, not only was he met with absolute silence, but a day later he was summoned by North for a little chat.

Apparently both Toothy and Sandy had made mention of Jack's sudden interest in the topic of Pookas and North, for some reason, had decided to put an end to it.

In kind but firm words North had told Jack that while he could understand and even appreciate Jack's interest in getting to know Bunny, there were simply some things which were not another's place to tell and that if he possessed a genuine interest in getting to know his fellow Guardian then it was better that he simply go to the source and get to know Bunnymund the old fashioned way; by getting to know him.

Jack had thrown his hands into the air with exasperation and exclaimed that he _**had tried **_and that all his efforts were getting him nowhere!

Rubbing his temples tiredly North had told Jack that while he himself quite enjoyed Jack's playful nature Bunny was a bit of a different breed. Jack's constant teasing and pranks and poking rubbed the bunny the wrong way and, he'd added pointedly, it didn't help one bit that Jack seemed to delight in harassing Bunny above all others. Jack had smiled, shrugged helplessly and declared that it was hardly his fault that the big kangaroo was the most fun to rile up.

North frowned at that and suggested that if Jack was really serious about getting to know the big Pooka then perhaps he might try to cut back on constantly antagonizing him.

Jack had pouted and argued that it was all in good fun and that he didn't mean anything by it and North had patted him comfortingly on the back and said that _**he **_understood that but that maybe he should try to see it all from Bunny's perspective.

He had explained as gently as possible that Bunny was both serious and proud, he didn't back down from a challenge and he was long accustomed to his solitude. He told Jack that perhaps these things had made Bunny aloof in the same way they had made Jack gregarious.

Jack had frowned in confusion (solitude? hadn't Bunny always had the other Guardians?) but could see the logic in North's analysis and had promised to do his very best to tone down the fun where Bunny was concerned.

North had smiled proudly, wished him luck and then, suddenly grave and serious, had warned him to tread lightly around the things he asked of Bunny and to remember that true friends _**respected**_ one another _**and**_ their wishes.

Confused by the sudden turn of the conversation, Jack had nodded almost without even thinking.

And North, not at all satisfied with this response, had placed a heavy hand on Jack's shoulder, looked him deep in the eyes and said, "Jack, you are my friend and I want to help you with this problem. But Bunny, gruff and silent though he can be, is my friend too. You must promise me that you will respect him."

Exponentially more intrigued than ever before, Jack had promised as solemnly as he'd known how and not a week later a rather perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with Bunny conveniently presented itself; Bunny needed some help around the warren and he asked Jack if he wouldn't mind coming down for a visit.

Jack had leapt at the chance and agreed even before the words had left Bunny's mouth.

Pleased as he was by his sudden luck Jack had seen neither the grateful smile North had thrown Bunny's way nor the acknowledging tilt of Bunny's head in response.

If he'd had, he'd have likely been furious, or at least embarrassed that North had told Bunny that Jack wanted to spend time with him, but as it was, he missed it all and remained blissfully unaware of North's helping hand.

And so, two days after Bunny's most gracious invitation, Jack Frost, Guardian of Fun and Master of Winter, found himself being led down the rabbit hole to Bunny's personal paradise, the land of eternal spring and the very birthplace of Easter; the Warren

* * *

There you go my lovelies! Thank you so very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! There's more to come soon so leave a review and tell me what you think! _**Chapter Two:**_ **_A Favor for North_** (or Bunny finds himself on the receiving end of North's really big eyes!)


	2. A Favor for North

_**A/N: **This chapter is an interlude of sorts, taking place during the first chapter, sometime between the time that Jack speaks with North and when Bunny invites him over to the Warren.**  
**_

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" nor any of the characters who appear in "Rise of the Guardians," I just like to play with 'em every once in a while. Bunny and all "Rise of the Guardians" characters belong to William Joyce and Dreamworks Animation.

* * *

**_A Favor for North_**

**_In which E. Aster Bunnymund falls victim to the really big eyes of Nicholas St. North_**

Bunny was hard at work clearing the east field when he heard the soft tell-tale plop of a snow globe portal closing behind him.

He sighed tiredly. He really didn't have time for a visit from North today.

But if the man had traveled all the way down to the Warren then it must have been for something important.

At least it had better be.

Stretching up from his crouched position, Bunny turned to welcome the Guardian of Wonder into his home.

Upon seeing him North smiled broadly and spread his arms wide for a hug.

"Bunny! How are you my friend?"

Bunny canted his head in acknowledgement, dodged the hug and grasped one of North's hands in a firm handshake. North smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Always so distant, my friend. You know a little hug never hurt anyone."

Now it was Bunny's turn to roll his eyes.

"I think anyone who's ever been hugged by you might disagree with that North."

North pouted and Bunny mostly ignored it, he was a busy rabbit, he didn't have time to be standing around and arguing with North.

"What's the word, North? You didn't come down here just to hug me did ya'?"

North laughed and hooked his thumbs into his wide belt.

"Always right down to the tacks of brass aren't we, Bunny?"

Bunny shrugged.

"Yeah, well, I got a lot of work to do ya' know so spill it."

The Guardian of Wonder sighed and rubbed a hand behind his neck, he'd wanted to _**ease**_ into the conversation but leave it to Bunny to get right down to business.

"Is about Jack."

Bunny scowled and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, what'd the little blighter do this time?"

"No, no, no," North frowned and waved his hands emphatically.

"Jack did nothing wrong."

"Except flood yer kitchen with hot cocoa at the last meeting."

North nodded, "Yes, yes except flood my kitchen with hot co-," he shook his head as if clearing it, "no, no, Bunny, he did not. Okay, well he did that, but has been good boy since. This is about something else."

Bunny huffed and when he tapped his big foot impatiently, North knew he needed to get to the point fast or he'd lose his audience completely.

"He thinks you don't like him Bunny."

For a split second, Bunny's ears dipped forward the tiniest bit and his eyes softened with concern.

"D-don't like-?"

The next moment a scowl had fixed itself to his features and his eyes were as hard as flint.

"He thinks _**I**_ don't like _**him**_? Wait! _**I'm**_ not the one who's constantly harassing _**him**_, North. It's the other way around in case you haven't noticed."

North spread his hands wide in supplication.

"Is just Jack's _**way,**_ Bunny, he means no harm by it. Is all in good fun."

"Yeah, well it's not very fun for me," Bunny grumbled back, "and anyway, don't I _**still **_go out of my way to be patient with the little imp, even though _**he **_never lets up with the pranks and the teasing and the jokes?"

"Yes, Bunny and-"

"And haven't I let it go every time he goes too far? Which is always? And haven't I-"

"Yes, Bunny, yes, you have been very kind. Yes, you have been very patient."

Bunny nodded in satisfaction.

"That's right, I have. So where'd the silly brat get the idea I don't like 'em?!"

North wisely chose to ignore Bunny's peculiar way of asking such a question and forged ahead.

"I know you have been patient with him and I know that you try, but Bunny, you have spent no time with him since he has become Guardian. You have made no effort to get to know him or let him get to know you."

The towering Pooka's frown slipped uncertainly and his arms loosened slightly across his chest.

"Spent time with him? I see him at every bloody meeting, mate!"

"But when have you seen him outside of meeting?"

Now Bunny just looked confused.

"Sorry? Outside of the meetings? Why would I see him outside of the meetings? I don't see any of you outside of meetings."

"We Guardians, we are family. Jack is one of us now and he needs to feel welcome. Besides," he added, lifting his eyebrows in the tiniest of rebukes, "you know very well that you see the others and myself on occasion here and there."

Bunny shrugged disinterestedly, he didn't mind conceding that particular point not when it came with a built in defense.

"Yeah, I guess, every once in a while_**, when I'm not busy**_," he jabbed a fuzzy finger in North's direction, "and right now, mate, I'm busy. I don't have time to be holding the little rascal's hand and playing baby-sitter. New Guardian or not, my entire day was _**ruined**_ and I'm doing my dead best to make things right."

North nodded sympathetically. What Bunny said was true and as much as North wanted to help Jack out, it was also completely reasonable. Of all of them, Bunny had suffered the most from Pitch's machinations (as had likely been his plan all along) and no doubt a great deal of work needed to be done to remedy it all. The fact that Bunny was even acknowledging the difficulty meant it must be far worse than North had imagined. It made sense; Bunny _**had**_ been more scarce than usual and every time he'd laid eyes on the big rabbit he _**had**_ seemed worryingly exhausted. Knowing Bunny, he was likely working himself to the bone in order to catch up. Perhaps Jack's problem and Bunny's problem had a common solution…

Lowering his voice slightly, North asked tentatively, "How does it go Bunny, the work?"

Bunny huffed and his ears twitched in agitation.

"It's slow going, Nick."

Taking a deep breath North chose his next words carefully.

"You know, I have noticed that we see you less and less these days. I understand that you may be hesitant to spend more time with Jack but I notice that you do not meet even Toothiana for teas anymore."

At the mention of the Fairy Queen, Bunny's back went ramrod straight and his wide, green eyes flickered with poorly concealed panic.

Feigning indifference and failing spectacularly, Bunny asked, "D-Did she say something to you?"

"No, Bunny she did not, but I know Toothiana and she worries for you."

The pretend indifference melted away almost immediately at the words and some indefinable kind of anxiety began to weave its way onto Bunny's features.

The Guardian of Wonder immediately regretted saying anything at all and made an attempt to backtrack.

"It's okay Bunny, you know Tooth, she is not angry, she just….she worries."

Somehow, the words he'd meant as comfort had the opposite affect and though Bunny's features were swiftly schooling themselves back to his usual gruff calm, his voice was hesitant and apologetic when he spoke.

"I-I didn't mean for her to worry."

North winced and patted his friends slumping shoulders.

"I know Bunny. It's okay. Will be fine. But if you are working so hard that you no longer even have time for Toothiana, then you are working _**too hard**_. But do not worry, I have solution; Jack, he wants to—"

Bunny removed North's hands from his shoulders and glared at him icily.

"Listen North, don't feed me some line about Toothy being worried and then turn it around to getting something for Frost. That's dirty pool and you know it."

"Is no line, Bunny, is truth," North said defensively, "Toothiana worries for you, as I and Sandy do too as well—"

Bunny cut him off and snarled back, "Good. Great! Yer worried, I don't care. Was that all you needed North? Cause if it is, like I said, I'm busy."

And with that Bunny turned on his heel and stalked away.

"Bunny, please-wait!"

Throwing his hands into the air with exasperation, Bunny turned back.

"What, North? What do you want? Quit beating around the bush and just say it plain or don't say it all."

Anyone else would have been quaking in their boots to be on the receiving end of Bunny's short fuse, but North wasn't just anyone and he stood his ground.

"Bunny please, I do not mean to upset you. What I say is truth, your friends, we worry for you. You work too hard, are always tired. The boy Jack, he wants to spend time with you, get to know you. Is perfect, you invite him to Warren, he helps you with work, you have more free time to spend with…"

A sharp glare from Bunny had North swallowing his next word before he said it, so he cleared his throat and tried again, "and you have more free time, aren't so tired always, the boy is happy and you are happy and your friends don't need to worry for you so much. What is the harm?"

Bunny looked incredulous.

"What's the harm? Is that what you just asked me? You know very well what the harm is! That little brat nearly drowned your elves in hot cocoa last month! You know I don't have time to be playing babysitter to some hyperactive winter sprite, I've got an entire holiday to rebuild in case you've forgotten!"

The Guardian of Wonder sighed and his great, blue eyes pooled with sadness.

"I have not forgotten, my friend but please, Jack has been alone a long time," sensing the Pooka's response, North cut him off short, "but he is not like you Bunny. He is _**lonely.**_"

The rangy bunny's face fell and he shifted uncomfortably on his feet as North continued.

"He has been alone for such a long time, Bunny and now he belongs, he has a family. He is excited! He just wants to get to know you. Please. Pitch did great damage. Let the boy help you fix it. Give him this chance."

Bunny sighed and rubbed the back of his neck guiltily. Maybe he _**was**_ being too harsh; maybe the kid _**could**_ tone it down...but, no.

No!

"No, North, I-I can't mate, look, I feel for the kid, I do and I've been trying-**_really trying_**-to get along with him but there's just too much at stake here. I can't have any distractions, any setbacks, any pranks gone wrong and with that boy around who knows what'll happen? You _**know**_ how he pushes things, you _**know**_ how he pushes _**me**_ and I-I just can't have that when I'm here digging myself out of a hole!"

North could not deny the truth; the boy did push the gruff bunny and maybe he'd even made things worse by egging the sprite on when a sputtering and fuming Bunny was the result of one of his pranks. But now all those laughs at the bunny's expense were having consequences he'd never intended. What had seemed like good fun to him and Jack had clearly irritated Bunny far more than he'd let on. Perhaps, because he had been going so far out of his way to be patient? North could not know, Bunny was a complicated being. But even still he resolved to take the bunny's side more often in the future. Unfortunately, that good intention could do nothing to change what Bunny said next.

"It's not that I don't like the kid, I do, I-I really do, he came through for us with Pitch, he did. But maybe it's just better that we _**don't **_spend a lot of time together, mate. The longer we're around each other, the more chance he has to push me too far."

A second passed and North said nothing, he only sighed and hung his head sadly and Bunny for all his gruffness couldn't stop the swell of pity that blossomed in his chest.

Great, now he felt _**really**_ guilty.

Ducking his head to catch North's eyes, he held his hands out helplessly.

"Oh, come on, Nick. Don't look so glum, mate. You think I'm happy about it? I'm not. Maybe-maybe once I've got meself caught back up I could invite the kid 'round for some Guardian lessons or something…"

Hearing the hesitation in Bunny's voice probably even before Bunny did, North's mouth quirked in surprise and his blue eyes, sparkling brilliantly with hope, looked straight into Bunny's.

Bunny's own green eyes skittered nervously away and he chastised himself for his soft heart, 'come on Aster, stick to ya' guns mate, it's important!' Then North's enormous blue eyes connected with his again and they were so _**pleading**_…..and maybe he _**could **_give the kid a wack at helping….maybe Frost might even surprise him. It wasn't likely but who knew? Hope sprang eternal and all that….

Beside him, North could practically _**feel **_Bunny's anger dissipate and his resolve begin to crumble so when the Pooka's shoulders sagged in defeat and he tilted his head back to heave one last, long-suffering sigh, it wasn't a complete surprise.

Even so, the words he said next sent a thrill of joy through Nick St. North.

"Or I could ask him 'round to help out at the next meeting…."

In a heartbeat, North's smile exploded brightly and before he could be stopped, he closed the distance between them and wrapped Bunny in a bone crushing hug.

"Bunny I knew I could count on you," he exclaimed as he patted Bunny's cheek affectionately, "always so gruff but with so kind a heart!"

Bunny scowled murderously and pushed North roughly away from him.

"Get off of me, ya gumby."

North backed away swiftly and smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, Bunny, I get excited. You will not regret this, old friend. Jack will be good boy, you'll see."

Bunny, still flustered from the hug, held one finger up in warning.

"Yeah, well he better be Nicholas St. North, cause the second he steps outta line, I'm booting his frostbitten arse right back to the Pole. I've got too much work to do to be waylaid by that bratty little ankle-biter. You got it?"

North tried not to smile at the way Bunny's hug-mussed fur was sticking out in all directions and instead plastered the most solemn expression on his face that he was capable of summoning.

"Thank you, Bunny. You do me great favor with this. The boy will surprise you. He will help you with work, you will rest and all will be well. I know this."

Distracted by smoothing down his tousled fur, Bunny waved North away dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You better hope so, mate. Now get outta my Warren before I let the eggs paint ya."

The words were grumpy and more than a little rude but they were not nearly harsh enough to mask the fondness in Bunny's voice as he said them.

North patted his belly with delight and stepped through the snow-globe, happy in the knowledge that once again Bunnymund's big heart had eclipsed any ill feelings he might have.

Watching him go, Bunny rubbed that one spot beneath his ear and hoped that he hadn't just made a terrible, terrible mistake.

* * *

There you go my lovelies! Thank you so very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

There's more to come soon so leave a review and tell me what you think! Up next: _**The Warren: In which Jack and Bunny are both on their very best behavior!**_


	3. The Warren

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" nor any of the characters who appear in "Rise of the Guardians," I just like to play with 'em every once in a while. Bunny and all "Rise of the Guardians" characters belong to William Joyce and DreamWorks Animation.

* * *

**_The Warren _**

_In which both Jack and Bunny are on their very best behavior_

…_..and not a week later a rather perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with Bunny conveniently presented itself; Bunny needed some help around the Warren and he asked Jack if he wouldn't mind coming down for a visit._

_Jack had leapt at the chance and agreed even before the words had left Bunny's mouth._

_Pleased as he was by his sudden luck Jack had seen neither the grateful smile North had thrown Bunny's way nor the acknowledging tilt of Bunny's head in response._

_If he'd had, he'd have likely been furious, or at least embarrassed that North had told Bunny that Jack wanted to spend time with him, but as it was, he missed it all and remained blissfully unaware of North's helping hand._

_And so, two days after Bunny's most gracious invitation, Jack Frost, Guardian of Fun and Master of Winter, found himself being led down the rabbit hole to Bunny's personal paradise, the land of eternal spring and the very birthplace of Easter; the Warren…_

As Jack followed the bounding Bunny down the rabbit hole a sudden wave of apprehension washed over him.

He hadn't been to the Warren since the day he'd inadvertently helped Pitch derail Easter and the memory of that day continued to trigger a great swirl of guilt within Jack's chest.

Without meaning to, his steps slowed and it wasn't until Bunny looked over his shoulder and called out, "Oi, keep up Frost, we're almost there," that Jack realized he'd stopped walking altogether.

Pushing aside his feelings of guilt, Jack shook his head distractedly and jogged to catch up and true to Bunny's word, a moment or two later the tunnel opened to reveal the Warren.

It was beautiful; brilliantly colored flowers blossomed as far as the eye could see, emerald hills rolled and dipped across the landscape and everywhere, _everywhere_ spring reigned eternal.

Catching Jack's awestruck gaping; Bunny raised himself to his full height and puffed his chest out proudly.

"She's a right beaut ain't she mate?"

Jack cast a sideways glance at the puffed up rabbit and smiled slyly, a cutting remark quick to his lips, but then he thought about what North had told him about pushing Bunny and he hesitated. He genuinely wanted to get to know Bunny better and constantly teasing him, especially about something as important as his Warren seemed a poor way to go about it.

So instead of taking a little wind out of the rabbit's sails, he smiled sincerely and responded, "Yeah, she really is."

Bunny seemed surprised but pleased by his answer and reached over to thump Jack solidly on the back.

"And yer right there, mate."

Leaning heavily upon his staff to balance himself against the weight of the blow, Jack smiled up at Bunny and rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"So, Bunny you said you needed some help around here. What can I do?"

Still admiring his Warren, Bunny took a second to reply.

"Oh yeah, that. Well, here's the thing Frostbite, every year, after me big day I gotta get ready for next year's googie harvest. I've been a little behind this year cause….," Jack looked guiltily away and Bunny cleared his throat nervously, "well, I've been a little behind and I've just got 'round to doing it," he gave a lazy half shrug, "it's a pretty big job, so I thought maybe you'd like to 'elp me out."

Jack's smile was so wide and bright that it would have given Tooth a heart attack had she been present to witness it. Bunny, who wasn't quite as taken with Jack's chompers, shot him a lopsided little smile and motioned him towards the waiting fields.

"Come on then, Jackie, let's get to it."

* * *

They'd only been working for a short while when Jack decided that Bunny had an incredible propensity for understatement. The job he'd casually referred to as 'pretty big' was in fact, horrifyingly enormous.

Apparently, preparing the next year's egg harvest involved clearing the land, fertilizing the land, furrowing the land and _**finally**_; planting the little egg-flowers throughout. Currently, they were working on clearing one of four fields and while they hadn't been at it for very long, Jack could already tell that the task was a difficult one.

It was tedious, physically demanding and instead of getting easier as it went along, it only seemed to become harder. And the harder it got, the more Jack began to wonder if maybe the whole thing had been a terrible, terrible idea.

But then he'd begun to chatter, partly to keep his mind off the work (which was dreadful) and partly because, hey, wasn't that why he was here in the first place, to get to know Bunny?

And much to his delight Bunny had chatted back.

The replies were often succinct and sometimes only a bit more than a grunt but they were replies nonetheless and when Jack livened things up with a bit of teasing, Bunny had responded in kind. Even better, Jack had discovered that as long as he didn't push him _too _far, the big Pooka was more than willing to joke around a bit without ever seeming to take any real offense.

It was kind of surprising and more than a little fun.

But it was also kind of hard.

Repressing his more _rambunctious _impulses had always proven difficult for Jack and more than once he'd pushed things _just_ _a little too far_ and had managed to really tick off the older Guardian. He hadn't been _meaning_ to provoke Bunny (not really) but old habits died hard and self-control had never been Jack's strong suite.

Fortunately, as the morning wore on, he began to recognize the warning signs of a genuinely irritated Bunny. Most times, they were fairly subtle; a tightening of Bunny's jaw or a flinty, brittle edge to his words; the kinds of things that Jack would never had noticed had he not been making a concerted effort to be more considerate. Other times, Bunny would growl at Jack to 'watch it' and instead of taking that as his cue to _**really**_ dial it up, Jack would remember North's words to him and he would take the warning for what it was and stop.

Afterwards, an uncomfortable silence would reign, during which Bunny (and sometimes Jack) would seethe with irritation and the air would fairly crackle with unspoken barbs. But then Jack would strike up another conversation and miraculously, Bunny would seem to let his previous irritation go and join back in.

Those conversations often started out slow and rocky but eventually they'd pick up and smooth out and before too long, the anger and irritation which had lingered so oppressively would dissipate and the two Guardians would fall back into a more comfortable patter.

There were a couple of close calls but they managed to make it through most of the morning in surprisingly amicable fashion.

All the same, between the difficult tasks of clearing the field and minding his tongue, Jack was beginning to get tired. He was straining himself both physically and mentally and he wasn't sure just how much longer he'd be able to keep on top of either.

Thankfully, just as noon was rolling around Bunny called a halt and suggested that they get something to eat.

Jack could have wept in gratitude but instead settled for trudging tiredly behind the rabbit as he led the way to his little cottage.

It was nowhere near as massive or impressive as North's fortress at the Pole but Jack supposed that it didn't need to be; the _Warren _was Bunny's fortress and after all, didn't all bunnies like cozy spaces?

If not, then this particular bunny certainly did.

From the outside, the cottage seemed the very definition of cozy; it was on the smallish side and everywhere, the plants that ran wild throughout the Warren seemed to reach out for and envelope it. Flowering vines crept up the walls and wove themselves across the roof and the trees stretched their limbs towards it so that it was covered by a canopy of dappled sunlight and surrounded by the fresh scents of honeysuckle and akebia.

On one side of the cottage was a neat little vegetable garden and on the other, a bubbling stream which wound around the cottage and then disappeared into the great expanse of the surrounding countryside.

All the flowers and spring time were not exactly to Jack's particular tastes but as Jack stepped over the threshold of Bunny's cottage, not even he could deny how lovely the whole scene was.

Inside, the cottage was equally charming.

The walls were a seemingly endless variety of soft, delicate colors and the hardwood floors were warm and golden.

As he walked through the main entrance way, Jack noticed that a dozen hallways connected to it and that each and every one of them led to a ridiculous number of rooms and spaces. So many in fact, that Jack gave up on counting them at twenty five.

Here or there Bunny would point out an important room and Jack, mind already on lunch, would simply nod and trail behind him. But when they finally arrived in Bunny's kitchen, Jack could barely suppress a smile at just how _**cute**_ it was.

The cooking area was large and neat, with a small claw-footed stove in one corner, a tall basin in the other and between them both, a large, clean countertop with a variety of drawers and cupboards built into its base. A few bundles of herbs hung from the ceiling beside the countertop and a large pantry dominated the entire wall opposite it. To the left of it all, the kitchen opened up to a cozy little dining area with a heavy wooden table and chairs that faced a wide flower fringed window.

Bunny turned to Jack as he popped the gauntlets from his wrists and hanging them on a hook upon the wall, gestured towards the table.

"Have a seat mate," he said, "it won't take me long to fix us up something to eat."

Jack smiled gratefully and as Bunny began to busy himself in the kitchen, Jack melted into one of the enormous chairs with a sigh.

Bunny laughed and tossed a grin over his shoulder.

"You sound right knackered. Not working you too hard, am I?"

Stretching his sore limbs, Jack laughed good-naturedly and replied, "Hey, you know me, I'm all about snow days and cancelled classes, I'm not used to doing this much work in a _**year**_ let alone a _**morning**_."

With his back still turned to Jack as he rummaged through the pantry, Bunny scoffed.

"Yeah, I can believe that."

"Hey!"

Leaning back so that he could lock eyes with Jack directly, Bunny threw him a sardonic smile and raised a teasing eyebrow.

"Hey, you said it, not me."

Only slightly offended, Jack crossed his arms and scowled in mock outrage.

"Well, you didn't have to agree with me."

That got a bark of laughter from the big rabbit and Jack rolled his eyes and dropped his chin into his hand.

"Seriously though Bunny, this is a lot of work. Do you really think we can get it all done in a day?"

Spreading an armful of ingredients across the countertop, Bunny snorted in disbelief.

"One day? I don't think so, mate. We haven't even finished clearing out the east field yet! No, this project usually takes me a few weeks at best and that's without any of Pitch's interference. This year it'll take me a fair sight longer than even that."

Jack still felt guilty about what had happened, but nothing in Bunny's tone had been accusatory so he had simply asked, "What do you mean 'without Pitch's interference'?"

Already chopping a handful of vegetables, Bunny answered, "Well, usually the majority of my little darlings grow wild around here and the ones from the fields are just for good measure, but Pitch not only destroyed all the lovelies I'd worked so hard on, but also the sources of 'em, both wild and domestic. I figure the slimy rat wanted to make sure that no matter what, I'd _**never **_be able to salvage Easter."

He was bringing the knife down with what seemed to be a little more force than was absolutely necessary and his voice rose in anger as he continued.

"Bloody bastard even wrecked the chocolate room! And that means, that _**this year **_instead 'a just having to plant the field, I gotta get the wild ones growing again, plus the fields! _**And**_ I had to rebuild the whole chocolate room from scratch! Now, I've almost got the chocolate room back to code, but as you can see, I've still got a lotta' work to do with them googie flowers."

Jack grimaced, that _**did **_sound like a lot of work and since he felt that he was at least partially to blame for the whole fiasco, it seemed like the proper thing to do was to offer to help.

He half expected Bunny to shoot him down cold but he figured there was no harm in offering anyway.

"You know, I'm not too busy these days and," one of Bunny's long ears perked up and turned slightly towards him, "I'd be happy to come down and help out a bit, you know if you'd like or….."

Jack trailed off nervously as Bunny swiveled to face him fully, his green eyes narrowed and appraising.

"You sure about that Frostbite? It's gonna be an awful lotta work."

Jack smiled nervously, Bunny's searching stare was making him uncomfortable.

"Well, like I said, I'm not too busy and ya' know, it's pretty important right, for the kids?"

Bunny's eyebrows shot up in surprise and he nodded as his expression slowly relaxed into something slightly less terrifying.

"It is that, mate."

Jack shrugged, "Well then, I'll help. Ya' know cause, it's important and I'm a Guardian now, so I guess looking out for the kids is part of that, right?"

A slow smile dragged across Bunny's features and he nodded approvingly.

"It's all of it, Jackie."

Jack smiled brightly and chirped, "Then it's settled. Cool!"

Bunny looked a bit stunned but he nodded in agreement and turned to fetch their lunches.

A moment later, when Bunny handed him a heaping bowl of salad, he still seemed a little surprised, (which stung a bit) but he also seemed impressed and as he threw Jack a grateful crooked, little smile, the towering, intimidating Pooka looked very much like the cuddly, quivering little bunny he'd become the previous Easter.

It was ridiculously adorable but it stirred up fresh feelings of guilt and so Jack threw him shaky smile in return and dug into his lunch.

The food was good and Jack was so exhausted that he hardly even noticed when Bunny placed a tall glass of icy water by his plate before he took his own seat across from the younger Guardian.

For a few minutes they sat in comfortable silence and munched away. Bunny stared pensively out the large bay window and Jack absentmindedly traced the patterns on the table with his finger.

It took him more minutes than he'd like to admit to notice that the patterns he was tracing weren't just patterns; they were pictures, scenes even. Tall rabbits like Bunny sat and wove baskets and tended gardens while little bunnies darted in and out of every scene, chasing each other and tossing tiny boomerangs. Here or there the little ones played some kind of rugby-esque game and through it all were woven tiny flowers, vines, plants and trees. And each and every one was perfect in every conceivable way.

Sneaking a peek at Bunny from the corner of his eye, Jack wondered if Bunny had done the carvings himself.

If he had, well, he was an even better artist than Jack had originally given him credit for, because they were amazing.

He stared at the carvings a few minutes more, tracing the lines and marveling at the tiny perfection beneath his fingertips until finally, he could stand it no more.

"Bunny?"

The rabbit turned his head sharply in Jack's direction, seeming oddly startled by his sudden question. He blinked once and shook his head as if clearing it and for the first time Jack noticed that he looked tired.

Really tired.

Concern began to fill Jack's eyes when Bunny lifted his dark eyebrows and asked, "Yeah Frost, what do ya' need, mate?"

Jack shook himself.

"Need? Oh, uh nothing, it's just, I was wondering; did you carve all this?" He said as he waved his hand across the table top.

Bunny glanced almost nervously at the carvings for a moment before answering, "Uh yeah, mate I carved it."

Jack's eyes opened wide in amazement and his voice was sincere when he said, "Wow! It's amazing!"

A pleased little grin appeared on Bunny's face and he leaned slightly backwards in astonishment.

"T-Thanks Jackie, that's good of ya' to say."

Not for the first time that day, Jack was plenty tempted to shoot the bunny a smart remark and wipe that pleased little smile off his fuzzy face, but again, he held himself back and instead smiled brightly and said, "It's true, these are amazing. I've never seen anything like 'em."

Bunny's grin stayed lopsided but his green eyes softened slightly as he too bent his head and gently, almost reverently, traced the carvings.

"Well thank you, Jackie-boy. These carvings took me a long time to do, so I'm glad you like 'em. Listen, if ya' like this so well, I'll show you how to carve some chocolates after lunch, it's not _exactly_ the same thing, but carving's carving if you ask me. And besides, once you carve a chocolate, ya' get to eat it and it's a fair sight tastier than a table."

Jack's eyes popped with excitement and for a moment, Guardian or not, as far as Bunny was concerned, he was just another kid excited about being handed the keys to the candy shop and when he squeaked excitedly, "Really? You'll let me make some chocolates?," Bunny couldn't help but chuckle lightly.

"Suure, ya' little ankle-biter, just finish up yer grub and we'll pop over to the chocolate room."

The smile on Jack's face could have lit the cottage for a week and without delay he tucked eagerly back into his salad.

Bunny watched the carnage with a soft smile on his face and wondered why Jack couldn't be this agreeable more often.

Most of the time when they were around each other the boy was constantly poking at him, pushing him, playing silly little pranks and just downright being an irritating little pest.

But it seemed that today at the Warren the boy had been on his best behavior.

He hadn't played any pranks (yet) and though he'd poked at the Pooka a few (okay, a lot of) times, as soon as Bunny had started getting really angry he'd backed off.

It was strange and as Bunny chewed thoughtfully on his last carrot he decided that North must have talked to the young Guardian, cause there was no way this good behavior was coming about on its own. Still, he thought, good behavior _**was**_ good behavior and Frost definitely deserved something for it. Who knew, maybe if he showed Jack how swimmingly things could go when he wasn't being constantly harangued, the kid might begin to embrace a less _abrasive _Bunny-relations policy. They were both Guardians after all and things would go a lot smoother in the long run if they could get along.

Of course, there was no guarantee that Jack's behavior would change or even _**could**_, but Aster wasn't the Guardian of Hope for nothing. Besides, he suspected that some of Jack's….impishness was due to the fact that he'd had absolutely no one to answer to for three hundred years. That kind of isolation could make a person forget how they were supposed to act around others, at least in Aster's experience anyway.

And that was why when Frost had become a Guardian the Pooka had hoped that the newly dubbed Guardian of Fun would abandon his practice of habitually antagonizing him. To Aster, it was a perfectly reasonable expectation; after all, Frost had shown _real _courage and _real_ character against Pitch and by the end of the whole ordeal, Bunny had thought that he and Frost had come to a new understanding of sorts.

It was with that understanding in mind that he'd done what he could to try and smooth things over; he'd been friendly, he'd watched his tongue, he'd forgiven insults and he'd worked hard to keep his temper under control, even when North and the other Guardians (even Toothy!) had giggled and laughed right along with the brat. And yet, for all his efforts the little blighter had _**still**_ kept on! If anything Frost's sudden access to him had only increased his impishness and Bunny had begun to fear that perhaps the relationship between himself and Frost was beyond repair.

Then North had come to him all sad-eyed and pleading and asked him to spend time with the little pain. Aster had tried to explain to him that he liked Frost just fine (he really did!) and respected him as fellow Guardian, but that maybe they were just better off seeing as little of each other as possible. After all, Frost didn't seem to be interested in anything other than pestering the bunny and Aster couldn't hold his temper forever. It was probably better that they simply stayed out of each others' way as much as possible and left it at that. Of course, that kind of sound logic and reasoning had only set North off more and before he knew what was happening, he was offering to invite the little terror down to the Warren himself.

For the life of him he still wasn't sure how the old devil had talked him into it but he suspected that his own stubborn hope that things could be better had played a fairly significant part in it all. But hope notwithstanding, not a minute after North had disappeared through the snow globe Aster had wondered if maybe those hopes were more than a little misguided.

But now here he was; sitting and chatting with Frost, amicably, even pleasantly and he began to feel that little spark of hope burn a little brighter. Because while they'd had a few bumps, overall the day (so far) had been an unqualified success!

Frost's usual brand of infuriating cheek had been toned down to a tolerable level and Aster found that at that level, Jack's playfulness was quite pleasant, even fun. He liked a good joke as much as anyone and as long as the playful banter never went too far, it was kind of enjoyable.

It reminded Aster of having a brother; an annoying, loud-mouthed, _**irritating **_little brother who could nevertheless occasionally surprise him with his capacity for being bearable and sometimes even pleasant.

A throat cleared across from him and Bunny realized that while he'd been daydreaming the younger Guardian had finished his lunch and was currently staring expectantly at him.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, he gulped down the last of his water and stood.

"Sorry about that, mate. Must 'ave lost track a' time. You all through?"

Jack gave him a queer look but nodded his head.

"Good, well then, I promised you the dime tour didn't I? Let's get to it then."

Again Jack nodded and followed closely on Bunny's heels as he led him up and down the winding tunnels, showing him the various different rooms (none of which Jack recognized) until finally Jack had stopped the tour to ask the giant rabbit if he was taking him around in circles.

Bunny had looked momentarily confused before responding, "Circles? What are you on about, mate?"

Jack had shaken his head and gestured widely around.

"I mean, Bunny that there's _**no way**_ that all this fits inside your tiny little cottage. It's impossible!"

After another moment of staring at Jack as if he'd suddenly grown two heads, realization dawned on Bunny's face and he threw his head back to laugh loud and hearty.

Jack scowled at him irritably and upon seeing his expression, Bunny only laughed harder.

Tears were already pooling in the corner of his eyes when he finally said, "I'm sorry, mate, I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh, I don't, I guess it just didn't occur to me to point out that about ninety percent of the cottage is underground."

Jack's mouth formed a perfect little 'o' and in spite of himself a vibrant blush crept up his cheeks.

"Oh, well…that….makes sense."

Stilling riding out the last of his giggles, Bunny nodded his head and clapped Jack on the shoulder before replying, "I'm sorry, Jackie, I guess it's been so long since I brought someone new by the Warren that I just assumed you knew we were underground."

Jack scowled for a moment longer, he didn't like being laughed at and while Bunny **_was_** giving him a conciliatory smile, mocking laughter still danced in his eyes. Jack was sorely tempted wipe that look off his face with a smartly thrown snowball….

But then again, they'd been getting along so well that it seemed a shame to ruin everything over a silly misunderstanding…..

So Jack had smiled back and had done his best push away his anger.

A few minutes later, the hallways began to change. Whereas the hallways throughout the rest of the cottage were neat but well-worn, these looked new. The floors were perfect and shining, the walls were pristine and everywhere the smells of fresh paint and sawdust lingered in the air.

Noticing his scrutiny Bunny waved a hand vaguely around his head and explained, "All this is new, in case you couldn't tell, had to rebuild it after Pitch's little attack."

"Why?" Jack asked with a frown.

"Cause this is the hallway that leads to the chocolate room and like I said before, Pitch destroyed it."

He paused, seemingly in thought.

"Actually, truth be told, he destroyed this entire wing of the tunnels. Had to dig 'em out and rebuild 'em all before I could even start on the chocolate room, but it came together pretty quickly once I got going and now," he said as he pushed open a conspicuously golden door, "I've almost got her running back up to snuff."

He held the door open, stepped aside and gestured towards the open doorway.

"See for yourself."

Jack beamed and stepped over the threshold.

And stopped.

And stared.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ There you go my lovelies! Thank you so very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

Thanks to all who've left reviews, I truly appreciate them and love you for taking the time to write them.

Apologies for the delay in posting, I've been outta town for a while and with the new semester in full swing, I've been a little pressed for time. The next chapter should be up soon though, so stay tuned.

Rubypearl- Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm so glad that you enjoy reading it and I hope that you'll continue to do so since I've got quite a few chapters planned yet! As far as romantic pairings go, while I didn't actually start this one as a romance, I must admit that over the last several chapters, something of a romantic subplot has begun to develop. I don't want to give too much away though, so I'll simply say that by the next chapter things will start to become clearer. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!

TheJoyousCrosser- You really are too kind! You wouldn't believe how chuffed I was to get your review! I'm so happy that I'm doing all right by the characters and that you're enjoying it! Really, your review was absolutely lovely!

Tenshira- Thank you for your review and your wonderful words of encouragement! I'm so pleased that you're enjoying it! Stay tuned because I've got quite a few more chapters in the works!

BML Hillen-Keene- More is on the way! And thanks for the review, coming from someone whose writing I enjoy quite a bit it means a lot!

Every1's Beta- Yes, North _is_ a bit of a schemer isn't he? I'm with you on the fluff, Jack and Bunny are too cute to resist! Thanks for reading!

Again, thanks to all who've read and all who've reviewed, your continued support really makes my day! Remember, there will be more soon!

Up next: _**The Chocolate Room: In which Jack Frost makes ugly chocolates and E. Aster Bunnymund behaves like a child**_


	4. The Chocolate Room

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" nor any of the characters who appear in "Rise of the Guardians," I just like to play with 'em every once in a while. Bunny and all "Rise of the Guardians" characters belong to William Joyce and DreamWorks Animation.

* * *

_**The Chocolate Room**_

_**In which Jack Frost makes ugly chocolates and E. Aster Bunnymund behaves like a child**_

"_Actually, truth be told, he destroyed this entire wing of the tunnels. Had to dig 'em out and rebuild 'em all before I could even start on the chocolate room, but it came together pretty quickly once I got going and now," he said as he pushed open a conspicuously golden door, "I've almost got the chocolate room running back up to snuff." _

_He held the door open, stepped aside and gestured towards the open doorway._

"_See for yourself."_

_Jack beamed and stepped over the threshold._

_And stopped._

_And stared._

It. Was. Incredible!

At almost ten times the size of any other room that he'd seen so far, the chocolate room was a sight to behold. Instead of the cozy wooden edifices of the rest of the cottage, the chocolate room was resplendent in glittering gold and luminous marble.

The high, vaulted ceiling that soared far above even Bunny's head was a brilliant fresco of spring and life; luscious, green vines chased each other across the vast canvas of the ceiling and brilliant, vibrant flowers of every conceivable color burst upon it like fireworks. They were so lifelike and perfect that Jack would have sworn that he could smell their fragrance from where he stood. Even the shimmering golden vines that suspended lights from the ceiling were so exquisitely perfect that had it not been for their unnatural color, Jack would have thought them to be real as well.

And then there were the walls; where great swaths of color danced and splashed upon the purest marble to create magnificent scenes of burgeoning life and glorious vivacity.

Here a hummingbird sipped delicately from a ruby flower and there, a crystalline brook bubbled and spilled itself across glistening, polished stones. Reaching a hand out to trace the petals of a particularly splendid flower, Jack gasped in surprise when he realized that the images weren't just painted _**upon**_ the marble, but that they had been _**carved**_ right into it.

Jack traced the fibrous limbs of a blossom laden magnolia tree and shook his head in amazement.

Throughout all the years in which he'd known Bunny, he never could have imagined that the short tempered Guardian could be capable of creating something so….._beautiful…so perfect._

But now, now he didn't know what to think and as he swept his gaze over the rest of the room, he felt more overwhelmed than ever.

And as if the incredible décor of the room wasn't enough, it was also absolutely _**littered **_with fantastic machinery and fascinating little contraptions. Gigantic drums and magnificent golden cauldrons of every imaginable shape and size were situated amongst a complicated apparatus of conveyor belts, ovens and massive wheeled cooling racks.

And in the farthest corner of the great room was snuggled an enormous worktable replete with tiny scales and intriguing little tools, and it was to there that Bunny led Jack.

"Here Frostbite, let me show you how we make the chocolates 'round here."

Jack nodded excitedly as visions of confections danced in his head and Bunny began to explain exactly how he created his little treats.

And then he kept explaining.

And then he explained some more.

And then still more yet.

And then after too short a time, Jack (who was far more interested in _**eating**_ chocolates than learning about their chemical compositions) found that he was totally and irrevocably bored by the entire conversation.

Unfortunately for Jack, who just wanted the lecture to end, Bunny seemed to be just getting started and his usual gruff composure had been completely replaced with what could only have been described as giddy enthusiasm. His eyes were wide and bright with excitement and his fuzzy paws gestured wildly as he elaborated on each and every tiny little detail.

It was singularly bizarre and a total departure from his usual brusque demeanor but it was also _**literally**_ the only thing keeping Jack's attention. He'd _**never seen**_ Bunny like this before; all excited and happy.

In a way it reminded him a bit of when Bunny had taken little Sophie for a romp around the Warren and yet, it was still something completely different.

With Sophie, there had been a kind of peaceful calm about him; every word he'd said had been soft and careful and every movement, delicate and gentle.

But here, standing in his chocolate room going on about who even knew what anymore, he was practically vibrating with energy. Seemingly without his awareness, his voice rose in pitch and volume and his gestures became increasingly wild and emphatic. Jack kept expecting that at any moment his frenetic enthusiasm would begin to wane but much to his amusement, it seemed that the longer Bunny talked about the intricacies of chocolatiering, the more excited he became! And before too long the big bunny was bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet and Jack had to bite the inside of his cheek to suppress the giggles when he realized that even Bunny's little cottontail was waggling like mad.

Desperately trying to control his snickers, Jack marveled at how absolutely bizarre it all seemed.

Who could have known that the big kangaroo could be so…excitable?

Jack certainly hadn't and it was taking every ounce of willpower that he possessed to refrain from laughing out loud at the sight of the increasingly unhinged Bunny.

Unfortunately for Jack, the lecture just didn't stop and by the time Bunny _**finally**_ got around to showing him how he carved the chocolates, Jack was legitimately concerned that he wasn't going to be able to contain the laughter much longer.

Fortunately, the technique for _**carving**_ the chocolates was infinitely more interesting than the rest of the process and Jack was able to focus on something other than Bunny's hilarious over excitement. And after explaining the process (in incredible, excruciating detail) Bunny finally even offered to let Jack try his hand at making a few.

It didn't go at all smoothly and the mess that resulted from Jack's efforts was quite impressive, but Bunny was patient and Jack was enthusiastic so over all, it went rather well.

Afterwards, Bunny had offered Jack a tall glass of icy milk and the pair of them had settled down to enjoy the fruits of their labors. Bunny's chocolates were perfect and exquisite and Jack's were deformed and as ugly as any chocolates had ever been but as he sat there with Bunny, eating ugly (but delicious!) chocolates, he couldn't help but think that this was exactly what he'd been hoping to find with Bunny; an understanding, camaraderie, maybe even friendship. Because as much as he'd always liked to torture the big Pooka, he'd never really intended it be malicious; in fact he'd always rather liked the overgrown carrot-muncher, well mostly.

It was just that he was _**so fun**_ to wind up; always so serious, always so self-important, and always so preoccupied with his deadlines and responsibilities that honestly, how could Jack _**not**_ mess with him? And if the grumpy bunny couldn't take a joke, well that was _**his**_ problem, after all, it wasn't like Jack _**cared**_ about what other people thought.

But now….

Now was different.

Now they were both **_Guardians_**. They were part of a _**family**_ and Jack, newly reunited with the memories of his birth family, _**desperately**_ needed to feel that closeness again. Because now that he could remember what having a family was like, there wasn't _**anything**_ in the entire world that he wanted more.

For three hundred long years he'd been alone and adrift; angry and confused with a vague sense of longing for a thing that he no longer remembered even having. But now he remembered just what he'd lost and he was determined to have it again.

So determined in fact that he was even willing to try and curb his more mischievous impulses if it meant the chance at creating a real relationship with the big kangaroo. Especially because the more Jack got to know him, the more worth knowing Bunny seemed to be.

Before the return of Pitch, Jack had thought he'd had Bunny pegged, but then during their struggle, he'd realized that Bunny was so much more; he was brave and steadfast and loyal to both his friends and his charges. And in _**one morning**_ at the Warren, Jack had learned that Bunny could be patient, forgiving, and even playful when he wasn't constantly being provoked.

Heck, he'd been downright kind.

So kind in fact, that before Jack had even finished his funny little creations, Bunny had patted him on the back and assured him that as a first effort, his confections were actually quite good and when Jack had smiled goofily up at him in thanks, Bunny had laughed and rushed into his store room to find other, less mutilated samples of his work for Jack to try.

And although it was a bit absurd seeing the big, tough warrior bunny excitedly digging through his stores like some goofy kid showing off his toys, Jack forced himself not to laugh because honestly, seeing Bunny so excited and happy was a revelation.

For years Jack had wondered how the snappish, impatient Bunny that he knew could be the same being as the gentle, benevolent Easter Bunny of legend, but seeing Bunnymund with little Sophie had forced him to admit that maybe there really was more to the crabby bunny than he'd first imagined.

But then he'd become a Guardian and while Bunny had been decidedly more amicable to him, he'd still essentially been the same old serious, stand-offish Bunny who prickled easily when teased and couldn't take a joke to save his life. If anything, the more time passed, the less agreeable Bunny had become and after a couple of spectacular clashes, Jack had begun to wonder if maybe that day in the Warren hadn't all been some kind of snowflake induced fluke.

But as Jack watched Bunny giddily dart about his chocolate room, he realized that Bunny's kindness with Sophie wasn't a fluke, it was who he really was, or at least a _**part **_of who he really was; it just took a bit more of an effort to get to see it. And now that he'd seen it; this softer, happier side of Bunny, it was hard to ignore, and even harder to dislike. So in lieu of laughing at Bunny's somewhat ridiculous antics, Jack stood patiently just behind Bunny, holding a marvelous golden tray and awaiting his selections.

Occasionally, Bunny would ask Jack about a flavor preference and then based upon his answer; he'd zip about the room selecting another couple of chocolates and placing them on the tray.

He'd become so immersed in his task that any and all attempts to engage him in a non-chocolate related conversation were met with a distracted 'uh-huh' or a silence that indicated that Bunny hadn't heard one word of what Jack had even said.

The whole thing was too absurd to be offensive so Jack simply rolled his eyes in fond amusement and deciding to give up on conversation for the time being, amused himself by admiring Bunny's impressive storeroom.

It was located through an inconspicuous little door attached to the chocolate room, but it was anything but inconspicuous. It was decorated similarly to the chocolate room outside but its walls were lined with shelves that stretched so high that Jack couldn't see their tops and so wide that they covered the walls of a room that was five times the size of the chocolate room.

On every shelf, the chocolates were housed on vast trays of perfect, golden boxes that rolled on little wheels so that Bunny could access those in the back. There were no labels on anything and so Jack had to assume that somehow Bunny knew where everything was by heart. At present, only a tiny fraction of the shelves were occupied and Bunny explained that these were simply prototypes, practice chocolates to ensure that when the time came, the ankle-biters would have naught but his finest and freshest offerings for their big day.

In spite of himself, Jack was impressed.

"Oi!," Bunny's deep voice cut through Jack's ruminations, "Frostbite! You there, mate?"

Jack turned inquisitively towards Bunny.

"Yeah?"

"Crunchy or creamy?"

Having absolutely no idea what Bunny was talking about, Jack simply frowned and repeated the question back to him, "Crunch or creamy?"

Bunny huffed and stared at him as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah, crunchy or creamy peanut butter, mate. Which one do you like?"

Oh.

Jack smiled.

"Uh, crunchy…I guess."

Bunny stared at him for a second longer then nodded his head repeatedly and turned back to his trays, muttering softly, "Crunchy, yeah, shoulda' known."

Jack didn't even know what that meant, so he simply shook his head in bewilderment and turned his attention back to the storeroom.

And that was when he spotted the workbench pressed into the corner of the room and not a second later, the _box_ that sat upon the workbench. It was many times the size of any of the other boxes in the room and instead of being constructed solely of gold; it was a dazzling arrangement of purples, oranges, blues, greens, golds and pinks.

Unable to resist, Jack moved to examine it closer and discovered that it was even more stunning up close. Not only did the brilliant colors form the shapes of exotic flowers and tropical plants but embedded inside their patterns were tiny precious stones, each one sparkling and perfect.

It was certainly the most impressive chocolate box Jack had ever seen and if the box was anything to go by, the chocolates inside must be ridiculous.

Maybe Bunny would let him try one.

"Hey, Bunny are these your special chocolates?"

Bunny didn't even look up from his sorting.

"Yeah, mate they're all special."

Jack rolled his eyes at the distracted tone.

"Well, these must be _**super**_ special 'cause I've never seen a chocolate box with rubies on it before."

Bunny nodded and was halfway through saying, 'yeah rubies,' when his head whipped around and his ears which had been flattened against his skull in concentration suddenly shot to attention.

"Wait-what?"

Jack looked nonplussed and jerked a thumb in the direction of the box.

"This box, it's covered in jewels. Does that mean they're your special reserves or something?"

Bunny's ears twitched and he shifted from one foot to another.

"Aah, no mate, those aren't special. Oh, well, they _**are**_ special, or they _**will**_ be they're just not _**mine**_. They're for Tooth, I-."

He realized his mistake a half second too late as a sharp, wolfish grin began to spread across Jack's features.

"You're making chocolates for Tooth? Why Bunny I had no idea you were so rom-."

Raising himself to his full intimidating height Bunnymund crossed his arms and scowled.

"Oh ha, ha mate, very funny."

Jack's toes were practically curling with glee as he cooed, "Aww, come on Bunny, I didn't mean to tease. I think it's _**cute**_."

Bunny's scowl darkened a shade or two and then suddenly a thought seemed to occur to him and the scowl was replaced with a smug smile.

"You better watch it, mate. You're about to make a fool of yerself."

The winter sprite laughed loudly and his eyebrows shot into his hairline with incredulity.

"_**I'm**_ about to make a fool of myself? How do you figure _**that**_? I'm not the one making Valentines for the Tooth Fairy!"

The smug smile only got wider.

"Yeah, well I'm not either, mate. I make chocolates for _**all**_ the Guardians, _**every year**_. Just like North makes presents. It's just a tradition."

The grin fell from Jack's face and a pout replaced it.

"Really, you make chocolates for North and Sandy too?"

Bunny nodded, "'Fraid so, mate; Guardian tradition."

Jack's pout intensified then suddenly broke into a grin.

"Then where are _**their**_ boxes?"

Bunny didn't miss a beat, he simply stepped over to the workbench in one long stride, pulled open a drawer and gestured pointedly to the contents within.

"In progress mate."

Peering inside the drawer, Jack saw that sure enough there were three boxes in various states of completion; one in a vibrant, beautiful red, one of shimmering gold and one, a swirling mixture of the purest silver and the most dazzling shade of midnight blue.

He paused, frozen in delight. Was that…for him?

Looking up at Bunny's triumphant smirk, Jack hesitated, maybe it was supposed to be a surprise, maybe he shouldn't say anything about it….

He pointed into the drawer.

"Is that one mine?"

The smug grin fell into a frown and Bunny could have smacked himself; he'd forgotten Jack's was in there too.

Oh well, he thought, he was gonna find out about it sooner or later anyway and at least it would get him off the subject of Toothiana and Valentines.

"Course it is, ya gumby, you're a Guardian ain't ya'?"

Jack was overwhelmed. He was speechless.

"Y-yeah, I'm a Guardian." Well, almost speechless.

"Well then, there ya' go," Bunny replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "It's tradition, I give each Guardian one of these every Easter, only I couldn't give any to the other guys this Easter, cause the ones I'd originally made were destroyed when Pitch threw his little temper tantrum. So, I made new ones," he canted his head slightly in Jack's direction, "and since we have a new Guardian, I made one more."

Jack _**still **_didn't know what to say. All the teasing, all the pranks, the blizzard of '68, the disaster of last Easter and here, Bunny had made this special thing for him. This perfect, beautiful box that he only made for Guardians and Jack, he just-he didn't know what to say.

Luckily, Bunny didn't seem interested in turning the revelation into some kind of a moment and he slid the drawer shut and waved Jack back towards the door.

"So, now that you've eaten crow, why don't we get going on trying some of those chocolates. I guarantee you that they taste a lot better than the humble pie you just swallered."

"You don't have to rub it in ya' know," Jack responded, with a jokingly sour expression.

Bunny gave him a pointed little grin and replied, "Oh, of course I don't _**have to**_, I just _**like to**_, it's _**fun**_. You know about fun, don't ya' Jackie-boy?"

The big kangaroo was really rubbing it in good but for the life of him, Jack just couldn't bring himself to care, because now he knew about the little silver box. He'd seen how _**perfect**_ it was, even in its half-completed state, and he'd heard it straight from the bunny's mouth that it was for _**him**_ and **_only him_** and he was in awe.

So instead of losing his cool, Jack smiled good-naturedly and let Bunny hustle him back into the main room where he immediately plunked his tray onto the nearest flat surface, pulled up a stool and dug in.

Behind him, Bunny took one last look at Toothiana's gift, sighed heavily in relief, then dimmed the lights to the storeroom and closed the door with a click.

* * *

Back with Jack in the chocolate room, Bunny pulled a stool up beside Jack's and selected a handful of chocolates for himself. Jack mostly ignored him, being far too busy stuffing his mouth with as many chocolates as would fit to notice that Bunny had returned.

That was fine with Bunny, he was still a little shaky from that close call and he didn't mind having those couple of minutes to compose himself. After a few minutes of silence however, Jack looked up from his massive pile of chocolates and through a mouthful of what _**smelled **_like peanut butter and dark chocolate he asked, "Hey, isn't it weird that the Tooth Fairy likes candy? Isn't that like, against her code or something?"

Bunny shrugged half-heartedly, "Yeah, I guess the Tooth Fairy eating candy does seem a little counter-intuitive," he admitted, "but that's just 'cause ya' don't realize that Tooth's people, they're kinda like hummingbirds, ya' know; they love their sweets. I mean they can't get enough of 'em. They're insatiable! I tell ya', if I let a couple of Tooth's little cuties in here they'd eat me outta house and home in a minute flat."

Jack's eyebrows rose in amazement. "Really!?"

Bunny plucked another chocolate from the pile (blueberry truffle, yum) and nodded his head emphatically, "Oh, yeah, they're real terrors, they absolutely lose their minds, but Toothy, well she's got a will like iron, that one."

He paused and smiled admiringly, "Yeah, she's a real tough Sheila, she is. Every bit as inclined towards the sweets as any of her people but because of her dedication to her calling and I suppose as a matter of principle, she only indulges on a very rare occasion."

He shifted excitedly on his stool and leaned forward, hands gesturing animatedly as he spoke.

"And do ya' know that for as much as she _**loves **_sweets, that one little box will last her for an _**entire**_ _**year! **_Can you believe it?!" he said with a smile, obviously impressed by the fairy's self-control.

Jack was considerably less impressed and raised one shoulder in a lazy half shrug.

"Yeah, I guess that's…neat. But it doesn't sound like very much fun to me."

Bunny looked contemplative and scratched behind one of his long ears.

"I know, it sounds like torture! Honestly, I don't know how she does it, mate. I bet I've eaten more chocolate in one _month_ than Toothy's eaten in her entire _life._"

Jack grimaced in distaste, because as much as he loved chocolate, even _**he**_ thought that sounded excessive.

"Eww, Bunny that's disgusting. How are you not like a million pounds?"

Stopping mid scratch and looking positively scandalized, Bunny exclaimed, "It's not disgusting, it's my job! I gotta make sure everything's perfect for the little ankle-biters' big day and it's a delicate process, mate, involves a lot of trial and error. Besides," he said as he grinned wickedly, "It's not my fault I gotta inspect every batch. Quality control and all that ya' know."

Jack tried to keep a straight face; he really did, but Bunny and his paper-thin justification for stuffing himself silly with chocolates was just too ridiculous.

"Yeah, I bet it's a _**real**_ sacrifice," he said with a playful roll of his eyes.

Bunny gave a solemn nod of his head and pressed a hand to his chest.

"You've no idea what kind of hardships I endure in the name of duty."

This time Jack laughed loudly and shook his head as he sifted through the remaining chocolates.

"Yeah whatever, Cottontail. Come on; help me finish these before I get all teary-eyed over your _**heroic**_ sacrifice."

Bunny tilted his head back and chuckled sarcastically.

"Oh ha, ha, mate. You know for someone going on about how disgusting _**I** _am; you sure are putting away a pretty number of chocolates yourself."

Jack continued chewing his latest sweet and replied without missing a beat, "Yeah, I am and I don't regret it for a second. These things are freaking delicious."

Bunny smiled proudly.

"But you're still disgusting."

Bunny's smile twisted into a pout and Jack positively exploded with laughter.

Above ground, the stone golems tilted themselves curiously towards the bright peals of Jack's laughter and when Bunny's own staccato baritone joined them a moment later, each and every one of them swiveled their faces to happiness and bobbled on their spindly little legs with unparalleled delight.

* * *

**_A/N:_** Well, that's the chocolate room, my friends! I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Thanks to all who've left reviews, I truly appreciate them and love you for taking the time to write them. Y'all really are the sweetest things! Please don't hesitate to let me know what you thought of the latest chapter and remember to stay tuned, things are about to take a slightly darker turn and the next chapter should be up soon!

_**Thanks again for reading!**_

Nek0Nek0- I'm so glad! Thanks so much for reading!

Kitty132383-Thank you so much, I'm delighted that you enjoyed it! And thanks for letting me know that you dug Bunny's accent, accents can be so difficult to write sometimes (especially when you have a rather pronounced one of your own!) so I'm glad I'm not butchering ole Bunnymund's.

Carmen Veiga- Thanks for reviewing, I hope Bunny's behavior lived up to your expectations!

Avatar Aang- Thank you kindly, truly, it means a great deal to know people are enjoying this little fic. It's so very encouraging and it just makes my day!

Princess of Las Noches- You are so sweet! Thank you a million times! It's very exciting to learn that you're enjoying the way the story is going and especially that you're enjoying the boys' more introspective moments. I thought it was important to show just how much of an effort they're both making. Thanks again for reviewing and I hope Bunny lived up to your expectations!

Tenshira- LOL- I too would like to visit the chocolate room but I doubt Bunny would appreciate the damage I would inevitably cause. I'm glad I'm doing a good job with the characters because I really love them both and would hate to do them injustice. I'm so pleased that you're enjoying their interactions, I know it's a slow build but I really wanted to show how much of an effort they're both making and where they're both coming from. Rest assured that while it may get a little bumpy here soon, there are going to be plenty of family moments for the boys further on down the road.

TheJoyousCrosser- Yay! I'm glad you're digging their interactions! That part is so crucial and I'm positively over the moon that it's landing! Thank you a million times for your kind words, I'm so psyched that you dug the cottage/burrow idea!

axellichouchou- Well, now that you've seen Bunny acting a bit silly, did you like it? I hope so! Also, it has been so important to me that the boys' relationship develop naturally, so I'm impossibly pleased that you're enjoying it! Thanks for reading!

TheGodlessAngelOfDarkness- You're so sweet! Thanks! Also, I do not blame you!

Every1'sBeta-LOL! You're too cute! I _had_ heard that about chocolates, I guess that's why they're so popular for Valentine's Day! Sorry you didn't get sugar high Jack, but I hope you still enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again for reading!

Rubypearl-Thanks for the review and believe you me, I'm having _**loads**_ of fun writing this one and reviews like yours are no small part of it, but thanks for the preemptive warding against the dreaded block! Good juju is always appreciated! Thanks again for reading!


	5. A Visit from Tooth

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" nor any of the characters who appear in "Rise of the Guardians," I just like to play with 'em every once in a while. Bunny and all "Rise of the Guardians" characters belong to William Joyce and DreamWorks Animation.

_**A/N:**_ Hello again! Whew, it's been a tough couple of weeks (months?) and you all have my most sincere apologies on the delay of this next chapter but what can I say? Life, as it often does, threw a wrench or two or ten into my plans and only just now have I been able to bring you this next chapter.

Thanks in advance to all you kind souls who've stuck with this story even after an interminable delay and howdy to all y'all who are just joining in. I can't apologize enough for the delay but I hope that this chapter and the promise of more to come will go at least a small way towards earning your forgiveness.

This one starts off almost simultaneously where the last chapter left off, but in another place and staring a different character. After that first opening part, the story jumps forward and we find that several weeks have passed since the conclusion of the last chapter and Bunny, instead of just getting started on his planting, is finally bringing it to an end. I think that's all you need to know, because hopefully the rest will explain itself.

I really hope you enjoy this one and apologies again for the delay!

* * *

_**A Visit from Tooth**_

_In which the Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies visits the Warren, Bunny finally finishes his planting and a tortured soul finds solace in hate_

_Bunny's smile twisted into a pout and Jack positively exploded with laughter._

_Above ground, the stone golems tilted themselves curiously towards the bright peals of Jack's laughter and when Bunny's own staccato baritone joined them a moment later, each and every one of them swiveled their faces to happiness and bobbled on their spindly little legs with unparalleled delight._

A world away, buried within the dark, cavernous abode of Fear, the mighty Nightmare King clapped his clawed hands against his ears and bellowed in frustration.

All around him, a thousand terrible Nightmares hissed and whispered and neither his trembling hands nor his anguished moans could block them out completely. Insidiously they seeped into his mind and once there, they both fueled and fed upon his ever present fear.

It was excruciating and torturous and it was made all the more terrible because Pitch, in his horrible, absolute, darkness lacked even the capacity to accept that most precious and enduring form of comfort which was otherwise so freely gifted to all who would accept it. And without even the comforts of hope, Pitch was left unequivocally at the mercy of his own fears.

Now and then, he would summon every scrap of will that he possessed and for a time, the swirling blackness would once more fall beneath his control and he would have some measure of peace. But all too often his own fear fueled their strength and sapped his own and he was left cowering and bowed, a prisoner of his own terror. And as he languished in exile, the only thing that was greater than his terror was his anger; anger at the Guardians who had defeated him, anger at the children who had aided them and anger at whatever cosmic force had shackled him to the throne of Nightmares. With every day that passed, the fear and the anger nourished one another, they grew, they intensified and finally, they propelled him towards revenge.

A revenge that was, in Pitch's estimation both entirely deserved and completely within his grasp, because even though the Guardians had once again defeated him, they were, even _**with**_ the addition of Frost, far more vulnerable than they'd been in centuries. They had lost billions of believers with the loss of Easter and while every day their ranks were being replenished, there was still a huge discrepancy between what was and what had been.

Especially for the _rabbit,_ who had been brought so low that he'd even reverted to his considerably less impressive, pre-Guardian form. After suffering a blow like that, there was absolutely no way that he'd been able to restore the children's belief in him yet. Not when he hadn't even provided a single successful Easter to reestablish his existence. And until he had, Bunnymund was vulnerable.

And if _**Bunnymund**_ was vulnerable, then the _**Guardians **_were vulnerable because without hope, neither joy nor wonder could survive for very long.

Pitch's last foray into the world had proved that; once Easter had fallen, the other Guardians had been dragged down with it and as their powers had dwindled, fear had positively _flourished_.

Not even the death of the Sandman had produced such a profound effect and as a result, Pitch was more convinced than ever that his plan was sound.

A few details would have to be tweaked, that was for sure but at its most basic level his plan _was_ secure.

He'd need to adjust the way he handled Frost for one. Before, he'd made the mistake of believing that Frost was exactly what he'd appeared to be; a lonely, desperate, selfish little hellion who was more interested in gaining believers and having fun than being a hero. He'd thought that the boy would have been either a natural ally or an easily swept aside enemy and when he'd turned out to be neither, Pitch had been genuinely surprised. But ultimately, the boy's surprising nature was of little consequence; heroes could be destroyed just like anyone else and at least this time, Pitch would know exactly who he was dealing with.

There were a few others as well, but they weren't terribly complicated and Pitch was more than confident that this time around things would be even simpler. The variables were fewer, the methodology was proven and best of all; the Guardians were still at least partially hobbled from his last assault.

They'd never suspect another salvo so soon and by the time they realized what was happening, it would be far too late.

In one fell swoop Pitch would return himself to prominence, avenge himself upon the Guardians and as an added bonus, finally rectify a mistake which had, over the centuries, brought him no end of troubles.

It would be a coup.

A perfect, spectacular coup and Pitch could think of no better way of kicking it all off than by finally ridding the world of the last of the Pookas.

* * *

Covering the last of the seedlings with an affectionate pat and a proud smile, Bunnymund sat back on his heels and gazed across his fields with satisfaction.

Each and every one had been cleared, plowed _and_ planted and if it wasn't the loveliest sight that he'd seen in a long while then he was a monkey's uncle.

Rising to stand and savoring the earthy scent of fresh dirt, Aster took a moment to close his eyes and just _dream_ about how fine a crop he'd be bringing in come harvest time.

It would, he decided, be a lovely one; there'd be beautiful little googies for as far as the eye could see. There'd be googies from the fields; brilliantly painted and tottering excitedly towards the portals. There'd be wild googies; fresh and strong and showing no signs of the fact that he'd spent the better part of the past year painstakingly nursing them back to health. There'd be blue ones and green ones, pink ones with purple stripes and orange ones with yellow swirls. Vibrant and bright; there'd be one in every color of the rainbow and then another in every color in between.

It would be magnificent! A real sight to behold! There'd be so many eggs come Easter that the little ones weren't gonna know what to do with 'em! They'd be in every nook and cranny and when the ankle-biters had finally ferreted them out from every conceivable hiding space, there'd be no doubt in their minds that Easter was back and stronger than ever.

It was going to be a beautiful sight and he thought, as stood and clapped the dust off his hands, perhaps he'd ask Jack down to help him with it.

He had, after all helped plant a good number of the little darlings, so it only seemed right that he should be there for their big debut. Besides, Bunny thought as he shook the dirt from his fur and headed towards the big lake, harvest wasn't anything like planting. Planting was hard and strenuous, but harvesting was a joy!

It wasn't difficult or demanding, it didn't require great patience or even great skill. It was _easy_, it was _exciting _and in Bunny's opinion that made it right up Jack's alley.

He chuckled as he plunged himself into the cool lake water, if there was anyone who'd get a kick out of harvest, then it had to be Jack.

Although to be fair, the kid _**had**_ been surprisingly good at the planting part of it too.

Oh, he'd started out a bit slow and clumsy, but after a day or two, he'd taken to it like a fish to water and before Aster had known it, the little sprite had been trucking along after him like he'd been doing it his whole life.

In Bunny's opinion it was more than a little funny that a winter spirit was so good at farming, but he decided that if the Tooth Fairy could foster a passionate love for candy, then the Master of Winter could just as easily be an excellent farmer.

What was good for the goose after all.

Besides, Aster had learned long ago not to look a gift horse in the mouth and Jack's surprising aptitude for agriculture had definitely been exactly that.

His extra set of hands had helped move the work along at an impressive speed and not only that but if the truth be told, Bunny had rather enjoyed his company.

It had been a long time since he'd worked a field with anyone else and though he'd long since become accustomed to the solitude, he found that even now, he enjoyed a bit of company here and there.

The silly jokes and stupid stories had made the workday practically fly by and since they'd managed to pull themselves so far ahead of schedule even the occasional impromptu sod fight had been a surprisingly welcome distraction.

After the disaster of last Easter, Aster had been under an incredible amount of stress. Between rebuilding his workshops and nursing the Warren back to good health, he'd been swamped. He'd had absolutely no time for anything other than work and though he loved his work dearly, even he'd had to admit that he'd been starting to feel more than a little rundown.

But then Jack had arrived, all eager and excited and it had been like a breath of fresh air! Suddenly, his days were full of laughter, he was ahead of schedule instead of behind it and to top it all off, he and Jack were really coming together.

Oh, they'd had their share of tense moments, that was for sure, but for the most part, Bunny was seeing _**real**_ progress. Jack no longer seemed to go out of his way to antagonize the big bunny and in return, Aster had been even more patient with the boy when he inadvertently did.

He wouldn't admit it under torture, but maybe North had been right; maybe they _had_ just needed to get to know one another.

At any rate, the kid had certainly helped to lighten his workload and in celebration of his recently completed planting, Bunny had decided to invite over an old friend for a criminally overdue cup of tea.

In fact, Bunny thought as he took one last lap around the lake, the lady in question would be arriving within the hour, so it looked like it was high time for him to get ready.

Pulling himself onto the bank, Bunny took a long moment to bask in the warmth of the sunlight and then with a series of violent and furious shakes, he dried himself off.

Water sprayed in every direction for few minutes until finally Aster's coat was once again fluffy and soft. A few parts here and there were still a bit damp and he suspected that the fur on his head was likely sticking up in all kinds of embarrassing ways but he wasn't overly worried; he still had plenty of time before Toothiana showed up and by then, his fur would be right as the mail.

Anyway, he didn't really have time to worry about his fur just this second; he needed to get lunch and tea on the table and _**then**_ if his coat hadn't sorted itself by then, he'd take a look at it.

With one last happy glance at his beloved (and freshly planted!) fields, Bunny bounded towards the cottage and set to work.

* * *

The menu was simple; a light salad, some fresh fruit, a bit of cottage cheese, some fresh bread and a couple of cups of Toothiana's favorite blend of hibiscus tea.

It wasn't a grand offering and in Bunny's opinion it was much less than Toothy deserved but it was what she liked and so, as always, Aster had obliged.

If she'd have asked, he would've prepared for her a nine course meal replete with any and every delicacy that existed under the sun, but she hadn't and so he didn't.

Instead he indulged his more fantastic inclinations within the confines of the relatively simple fare which she professed to love. The salad he prepared was as fresh as the morning dew and each element of it was selected from the very best of his personal garden. The bread was a homemade creation which blended the richness of almond and the tartness of cranberry. The cottage cheese had been painstakingly curdled the way his grandmother had taught him and the fruit was an exotic mix of the sweetest of flavors. Star fruits, mangos and lychee; each and every one perfectly ripened, fastidiously prepared and almost as sweet as candy.

Even the tea had been homegrown and hand blended.

It was, in Bunny's opinion, no less than a queen or a friend deserved and since Toothy was both, well it went without saying.

His only lament was that he had no finer crockery than the simple, earthenware pieces that he'd had for ages. Those along with a set of equally plain flatware completed the place settings and just as he was laying down the final plate, his large, sensitive ears picked up the unmistakable sound of wing beats.

They were coming from the southern tunnel and they were coming _**fast. **_

With an excited little spring to his step, Bunny darted for the mirror in the main sitting room and gave himself a quick once over.

Much to his satisfaction, his fur had settled itself down nicely and he looked both fresh and sleek.

Outside, the furious little wing beats grew louder and Bunny galloped down the halls and out the door so that he could meet Toothiana at the mouth of the tunnel.

He had cut it a little fine, but by the time Toothiana had emerged from the tunnel, Aster was waiting for her.

"Oh Bunny!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck, "It's so good to see you! I haven't seen you in ages!"

Something soft and warm blossomed in Bunny's chest and he leaned ever so slightly into her hug.

"It's good to see you too, Toothiana," he said sincerely, "And," he added a bit contritely, "I really am sorry I haven't had ya' round for tea in a while, it's just that-."

Toothiana smiled brightly and leaned back to pull one of his large hands into hers.

He fell silent almost immediately and his thick dark eyebrows drew together with confusion.

"Oh, Aster," she said fondly, "Please don't apologize for doing your job. I know how busy these past few months must have been for you and frankly, I'm surprised you've found the time to breathe let alone invite friends over for tea."

A grateful smile flickered across his features but when he spoke again; his words were laced with the tiniest hint of uncertainty.

"Thank ya' Toothy. I-I shoulda' known you'd understand, I just-I wanted you to know that I'd never miss our teas together unless it was absolutely necessary."

Toothiana patted the soft fur between his knuckles and frowned slightly; concerned by the worry in his voice, she forced herself to an unusual stillness and solemnity when she answered.

"Aster, I _know." _

And she did know, because Toothiana knew Aster. And while he was often gruff and withdrawn, he had nevertheless, on a million different occasions and in a million different ways expressed to Toothiana just how very much he valued her friendship. It was more often by deed than by word, but he had done it all the same and so yes, Toothiana _did_ know that'd he'd only sacrifice their time together if it was absolutely necessary and she also knew just how very important it was that _Aster _knew that she understood. So, gripping his furry hand a little tighter, Toothiana adopted her sternest and most serious expression and said, "Aster Bunnymund, you _know_ that I never say things that I don't mean, and I'm telling you right now that not only do I know, but that I _understand_."

This time the smile that lit up his features was confident and lasting instead of hesitant and fleeting and just by seeing it, Toothiana knew that Aster's surprisingly sensitive heart had been suitably assuaged.

And with his worries having been laid to rest, Toothiana's temporary solemnity dissipated like smoke in the breeze and in a heartbeat she was restored to her usual, bubbly self.

A luminous smile graced her lovely features and she fairly hummed with suppressed energy as she led Bunny back towards his cottage. He, feeling light and happy, loped along behind her, smiling and laughing as she regaled him with the latest news from the Palace. Here or there, he'd throw in a comment or two and she would pause almost imperceptibly to take a short breath and before they knew it, Toothiana was settling into her chair at his table and he was bustling about the kitchen, pulling out his meticulously prepared dishes and laughing cheerily along with Toothiana's charming and often blatantly outrageous stories.

As he carefully arranged Toothiana's meal upon his old earthenware plates, he was reminded that his simple cottage was a far cry from the opulence of the Palace and a pale comparison to the grandeur of the Pole and yet as Toothiana snuggled comfortably into her chair and gazed adoringly at his dazzling garden, he decided that perhaps great and grand was not so much better than warm and cozy after all.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Well, I hope you enjoyed that chapter because I've got the second part to it coming down the pipeline very soon. During the long and regrettable delay, I resolved to get ahead before I moved on and so, I can assure you that before posting even this humble offering, I went ahead and completed the next several parts in the hope that never again, would I be forced to have such a long gap between postings.

Having said that, I should warn you that this chapter (and the next chapter) is the beginning of the second part of our tale and as such there's going to be a bit of set up but after that, the format is going to change and there's going to be a significant amount of jumps between the past and the present. But don't worry, I'll try to keep things as clear as possible and if things start getting weird or difficult to follow, just let me know and I'll do my very best to adjust.

Thank you a million times to all who've read and reviewed and here's hoping that the long wait hasn't put you off the story for good.

Stay tuned, because the next part will be up very soon!

**_Up Next:_** _Part two of Toothiana's visit to the Warren, in which she reveals some surprising (and enlightening!) truths, renders Aster Bunnymund repeatedly speechless and actively engages in the torture of at least one of her fellow Guardians!_

Thanks again for reading and stayed tuned!

**AnimeHuntress:** Thank you so very much for the kind words, I'm so pleased that you've enjoyed it and I hope that you'll forgive the lateness of both my reply and my update. You are lovely!

**SmilesRawesome**-It's not over! I promise, I'm so sorry for the delay, but I promise it's not over! Thank you so much for your kind words and for reading!

**Guest**-Lol, yeah, I can't quite hit the chocolate like I used to, so even I was cringing a bit at Bunny's appetite and as for his teeth rotting out; I expect that having the Tooth Fairy for a friend has really imparted on Bunny the great importance of dental hygiene.

**Axellichouchou**-Aww, you are too adorable! I'm so glad you liked it and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

**Idiosyncraticrose**-Oh, thank you so very much! You are so sweet and I hope you haven't given up hope on this story! A thousand apologies again for the long delay, thanks again for reading!

**O Spastic One**-No worries on reviewing every chapter, the fact that it was keeping your interest is review enough for me! I'm truly chuffed that you're enjoying Jack and Bunny's relationship because I know it's a bit of different take but it's really how I see them getting on. And I'm so glad that it reminds you of your own brothers because that exactly the bend I was going for. You are truly lovely and your kind words really touched my heart. Thank you.

**Avatar Aang**-Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it! And I'm _thrilled _that you liked Bunny's portrayal, he's a bit of tricky one sometimes, but if you're happy then I'm happy!

**Bedstories**-Aw, you're so sweet! I hope your control won out and your mother didn't have to chase you down for nicking her sweets, but I'm really glad that you're enjoying this story 'cause it really means a lot to me. Hope to hear from you again! Apologies for the delay!

**TheJoyousCrosser**-The best chapter yet? I'm so happy you think so. My wish is to improve with every go around so your compliment had me absolutely blushing! It's great to hear that Bunny and Jack's exchanges came off well and I love that you got a kick out of Bunny's excitement. Hope you've stuck around even after this long delay. Thanks again for reading!

**Tenshira**-Haha, yeah my feeling is that Bunny's a pretty complicated guy so when he's in a good mood, it can be a little weird for the uninitiated. I think we would _all _love a chocolate room to call our own but perhaps you are right that you have a special claim to all that chocolate, because really, your country _does_ produce some of the best! I hope you had a jolly good vacation and hopefully, you haven't given up on this story. Ta!

**Rubypearl**-Your reviews always make me smile and thanks a billion for the good juju, I may not have been able to update recently, but I've been writing every chance I got and I'll take all the good juju I can get.

**Kitty132383**-Yay! I'm glad you liked the description of the chocolate room; I wanted to give y'all a good idea of what it looked like but still leave enough to your own imaginations! Thanks for reviewing and I hope I'll see you again!

**CheshireCatGrin3421**-Thank you! You're so sweet!

**Pooka Spirit**-I can't tell you how pleased it makes me to hear that you found the characters to be in character! When I'm working with somebody else's babies that's always my greatest fear; that I haven't done them justice. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

**princess of Las Noches**-You called it! You clever devil, I'm glad that even if it was no surprise, his behavior was still fun to read. And ah yes, the Toothiana angle got your attention huh? Well, I can't really say too much about it, but yes, Bunny does seem quite impressed by her queenly strength and who could blame him? I know I can't eat chocolate like I used to, but even still, I eat a heck of a lot more than Toothy does in a year. However, it sounds like I'm nowhere near your level and I tell ya' what, if you think you could go toe to toe with the Easter Bunny himself, then color me impressed because you've got a gift! Thanks so very much for reading, really I do appreciate it!

**Galimatias**-Awww, your reviews made me smile! And praise, when it comes from an author of your talent is always deeply touching. (It made me squeal! But shh, don't tell anyone) I'm glad you've enjoyed seeing a bit of Bunny's world because I also thought it was important to let people to see what he'd created around himself. He's not exactly a quiet guy in that he speaks his mind pretty freely but he does seem like a being of more action than words and so I thought maybe some of his gentler sensibilities might be better illustrated by what he creates than by what he says. Thank you a million times for your wonderful review, it's always great to hear feedback on the relationships and their progression 'cause that's the most important bit I think! Thanks again!

**ChibiMusicBox**-You are wonderful and your review was so kind. Considering how many adorable things this fandom has produced, that's pretty high praise! I hope you've stuck with this story, 'cause I'd love to hear from you again!

**Carmen Veiga**-You're so cute! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know what you thought!

**Every1'sBeta**-You're good? Excellent, then I'm good too! I'm really glad you got a kick out of this chapter because I really wanted Jack and Bunny to have a natural kind of flow and a couple of laughs and I was really hoping that y'all would too. Thanks again for reading and I hope to hear from you again soon!


	6. A Tea with Tooth and Bunny

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" nor any of the characters who appear in "Rise of the Guardians," I just like to play with 'em every once in a while. Bunny and all "Rise of the Guardians" characters belong to William Joyce and DreamWorks Animation.

A/N: This one doesn't need much set-up, it picks up right where Chapter five leaves off. Please enjoy!

* * *

_**A Tea with Tooth and Bunny**_

_In which Toothiana reveals some enlightening (and surprising!) truths, renders Aster Bunnymund repeatedly speechless and revels in the torture of a fellow Guardian_

"_As he carefully arranged Toothiana's meal upon his old earthenware plates, he was reminded that his simple cottage was a far cry from the opulence of the Palace and a pale comparison to the grandeur of the Pole and yet as Toothiana snuggled comfortably into her chair and gazed adoringly at his dazzling garden, he decided that perhaps great and grand was not so much better than warm and cozy after all."_

Whenever Aster found himself in the company of Toothiana, time positively flew by. He could, and did, pass what he felt were mere moments in her presence, only to discover later that it had been hours. This day was no exception. It felt like they had just sat down when suddenly lunch had been devoured and the pair of them were lounging lazily at his table, chatting companionably and sipping their tea.

Their conversation had pin-balled in every direction under the sun but right that second they were immersed in a discussion on the pros and cons of selective horticulture verses the advantages of unmodified, wild plants. Bunny, who happened to be an expert in both was joyfully expounding on the intricacies of both processes as they pertained to his egg flowers when suddenly, Toothiana's smile grew sharp and mischievous.

Sensing the shift in the air, Bunny's speech tapered into silence and peering at Toothiana from beneath knitted eyebrows, asked tentatively, "W-what? What's so funny?"

Bright peals of laughter gushed from Toothiana and still smiling impishly behind her teacup she informed him that she'd heard that particular speech once this week already.

Bunny's eyebrows knitted further and he frowned.

"I-I don't understand, how could you have….?"

Toothiana laughed delightedly as he trailed off in bewilderment and her bright, wide eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Oh, Bunny," she said between giggles, "Don't you get it, I heard the _exact _same speech from _Jack!_"

Bunny's ears folded backwards in confusion.

"From Jack? Why'd _Jack _tell you what I said about cross breeding googie plants?"

Toothiana giggled hysterically and replied, "Well, that wasn't all he told me. He also reported to me your thoughts on soil quality, the best kinds of farming implements, the role of sunlight in the process of photosynthesis, the delicacy of tomatoes, the surprising versatility of the potato, mankind's universal affection for the egg _and,_" she paused to take a quick breath and Bunny, seemingly embarrassed, frowned and interrupted.

"Ah, no, Toothy," he said a little stiffly, "I don't need to hear any more. All I wanna know is _why_ the little imp told you all that stuff. I mean, if I was boring the kid, he coulda' just said so. It was just that, he had all these questions and I was tryin' to be nice and answer 'em, but if he wasn't interested-."

Toothiana's mood shifted swiftly from amusement to horror and she waved her hands frantically in the air as she tried to correct her friend.

"Oh, _no, Bunny, _Jack wasn't _complaining _that you'd told him all these things, he was _bragging."_

Bunny's expression remained puzzled.

"I-I don't understand."

Toothiana's eyebrows rose in surprise and noting Aster's impressive obliviousness, did her very best to spell it out for him as clearly as possible.

"Aster, Jack wasn't _complaining_ or _making fun_ when he was telling me all the things you'd told him. He was _showing _off, he was _proud_-_excited_, that you taught him all those things. For goodness sakes, Bunny, the poor dear was practically over the moon!"

Bunny's ears twitched and he gazed at Toothiana in complete and utter amazement.

"Why?" he asked finally.

"_Why?" _Toothiana replied incredulously, "Because, he _likes _you Bunny! He _looks up_ to you, he _respects_ you and ever since he's become a Guardian, and maybe even before, all he's wanted from you is a little attention. And," she added softly, "maybe even a little _approval_."

Bunny crinkled his muzzle in thought and then with an endearingly tiny voice, he asked, "_Really_?"

"_Yes, really!" _she replied ardently, "Aster don't you know that since you've been inviting him over, the silly dear has done nothing but talk about it? Every time I see him it's 'Bunny took me to the chocolate room' and 'Bunny let me plant the flowers' and 'Bunny says this' and 'Bunny says that' and to be perfectly honest, the rest of us were starting to get a bit jealous!"

Positively slack jawed, Bunny said nothing and Toothiana couldn't help but feel a tickle of amusement at his gob smacked expression.

But then his eyes flicked nervously away from hers and she realized with a start that they were wide and shocked….and misty.

Not for the first time, Toothiana was reminded of just how tender-hearted Aster could be and as he studiously avoided her questioning gaze her pink lips curved slowly upwards into a soft, sweet smile.

She was genuinely pleased to see him so touched by Jack's affection and was struck by just how far the boys had come in such a short amount of time.

It seemed like only yesterday, she had been legitimately worried that Jack's constant pranks and never ending jibes were finally going to push Aster's temper over the edge.

So much so that when Jack had come soaring into the Palace on the wings of frosty wind to inform her of Aster's invitation she'd been sincerely worried about how it would all turn out. But now, it seemed like the boys were getting along famously.

Jack was clearly taking a step back from constantly aggravating the big Pooka and Bunny had very obviously become quite taken with the newest Guardian.

She pursed her lips in thought and glanced downwards towards his elaborately carved tabletop. She knew nothing and no one could ever replace his brothers, but maybe just maybe after all these years, he'd finally found someone who could give him _something_ like what he used to have. Oh, he had great friends in herself and Sandy and even North, even if they _did_ bicker constantly, but they were _friends, colleagues, or peers, _not _brothers. _That was something else entirely and maybe just maybe Jack could be that something else_. _Maybe _he_ could be someone who was less like a friend and more like a brother.

That was her hope anyway, for both Aster's and Jack's sake. Because whether the two Guardians knew it or not, they had a lot in common and just as Bunny could benefit from once again enjoying such a relationship, so too would Jack, for whom the pain of losing his mortal family was still so very fresh.

Across from her, Bunny seemed to have regained his composure and he met Toothiana's eyes squarely and calmly.

"The kid's a good egg," he said gruffly, "Maybe I shouldna' been so tough on him for all those years, but ya' gotta admit, he didn't exactly make it easy for me; what with him going outta his way to ruin my egg hunts and all."

Toothiana said nothing, conceding the point and he cleared his throat and continued.

"Still though, I'm glad we're getting the chance to do things a little differently from here on."

Toothiana smiled brightly and the feathers of her crown puffed crazily with excitement. "That's _exactly_ right, Aster. After all, what's past is past and we_ are _all Guardians now, so it makes sense for all of us to try and get along. And it seems like whatever you've been doing is working, because I've never seen Jack this excited about _anything. _He wasn't even this excited when North let him take the sleigh down the chute for a test run!"

A tiny lopsided smile appeared on Bunny's lips and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Really, he liked planting googies better than he liked driving the sleigh?"

Toothiana nodded emphatically and Aster's grin turned predatory as he asked, "Did ya' tell North?"

Toothiana erupted with giggles and laid an elegant hand across Bunny's as she leaned in conspiratorially.

"Not only did I _tell_ him but I told _Jack _that North would _love _to hear all about his adventures in the Warren and then I _watched!"_

Aster barked a laugh and Toothiana, tickled by his reaction, went on.

"Oh, Bunny, you should have seen the look on North's face when Jack just kept going and going and going. I thought he was going to lose it, really I did! And then, just when I'd thought that he'd absolutely endured _all_ that he could take, Jack started in on how much more work Easter seemed to be than Christmas."

Bunny guffawed and clapping a hand over his mouth, gestured for Toothiana to continue.

She, with a mischievous sparkle in her eye, happily obliged.

"Then North tried to distract him by offering him a cup of cocoa and Jack took one sip, looked North right in the eye and told him, 'This chocolate seems kinda weak, maybe you should talk to Bunny about whipping you up a richer blend.'"

And that was it.

That was all Bunny could handle, because after hearing that _glorious_ little tidbit every trace of composure that he'd been desperately clinging onto slipped hurriedly away into nothing and he collapsed forwards onto the table in fits of hysterical laughter.

Toothiana was not long in joining him and together, the two of them laughed until they were breathless.

On the other side of the world, deep within his fortress at the Pole, North rolled a mouthful of cocoa experimentally over his tongue and wondered, 'was it really that weak?'

* * *

Bunny dried off the last of the plates and with long, jaw breaking yawn, returned it to its spot in the cabinet.

Toothiana had left less than an hour ago and already, Bunny had successfully returned his kitchen to its former, immaculate glory. It hadn't been easy, the accumulated mess from lunch and an impromptu dinner had been considerable but Bunny was still so euphoric from spending the day with Tooth that he'd barely even noticed.

The afternoon had flown so quickly that by the time they'd realized just how much time had passed, it was already quite late in the day and Bunny had invited Tooth to stay a bit longer and join him for dinner.

She had hesitated; she hated to leave the girls alone for too long, but then she'd considered just how much fun they were having and just how overdue this little engagement was and she had agreed. She had however agreed only on the condition that Bunny allow her to help him with the preparations.

Thrilled by his good luck, Bunny had agreed to her terms immediately and then invited her into the main room where they could pass the time in more comfortable environs.

Once there, Toothiana had stretched out on her favorite chair and Aster had entertained her by lazily plucking out a few of her favorite songs on his banjo.

After more than a few rousing renditions, Bunny set the banjo aside and declared that they had best get started on dinner. Toothiana had drowsily agreed and followed Bunny into the garden room. There, he'd fetched Toothiana's favorite wide brimmed hat, watched with a smile as she'd carefully tied the satin ribbons beneath her chin and then, led her outside to select the ingredients for that night's dinner.

The dish had been a relatively straightforward affair, but Bunny had made sure to include at least a few of Toothiana's more exotic preferences and she, gracious as ever, had let him.

They'd worked side by side in the kitchen that night, comfortably reaching over one another to grab a knife or a pinch of seasoning. Neither got in the other's way, they were just easy and smooth, coordinated and calm and as complementary to each other in the kitchen as they were in battle.

Toothiana had hummed ancient songs beneath her breath and Bunny had swayed languidly along as the dulcet notes had wound their way in and around him, soothing his every nerve and calming even the most persistent and omnipresent of his worries.

Once, as he'd been reaching around her for the red peppers, Toothiana had caught his eye and smiled sweetly and he had realized that he'd been humming along.

Embarrassed, not because she'd heard him sing, because she'd heard him do that plenty of times, but rather because he hadn't _noticed_ that he was doing it, he had ducked his head and looked away. Just as swiftly, Toothiana had laid a tiny hand upon his forearm, smiled and said, "Don't stop Aster, you know I love it when you sing."

Beneath his fur, Aster's face had flushed with pleasure and he'd smiled so widely that he was sure his cheeks would hurt in the morning, but after that, he'd hummed along with Toothy to his heart's content and she had smiled up at him with bright, sparkling eyes and in that moment, everything had been perfect.

She hadn't left until late into the night and for a second, Aster had worried that he'd selfishly kept her from her duties but Toothiana had waved him off, declaring that even the Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies deserved a night off every once in a while.

Aster had fervently agreed and as she'd stood at the mouth of the tunnel that led back towards the Palace, he had thanked her once again for coming 'round, pressed a tin of her favorite hibiscus tea into her graceful little hands and asked her to let him know when she'd be free for tea again.

The Fairy Queen had accepted the tin with a squeal of excitement, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck one last time and promised him that when she was free, she'd be sure to let him know.

It was the same exchange they had every time Toothiana came to visit and just like every time before, Bunny had grinned crookedly, leaned slightly into her hug and wished her a safe trip home.

After that Toothiana had turned, waved one last frantic little wave and zipped down the tunnel towards home.

Bunny, remaining where he was had raised one clawed hand in goodbye and watched as she disappeared swiftly into the night.

When he could no longer hear the furious humming of her wings, he had turned and made his way back towards the cottage.

As it always did following one of Toothiana's visits, the Warren had seemed especially beautiful that night and Bunny had taken his time in getting home.

He'd loped along at a leisurely pace, admiring the sights and smells of eternal Spring and had marveled at just how far his Warren had come since that last Easter Sunday.

On that day, following the destruction of Easter, the Warren had stood in devastation; death and decay had lingered in the air and even the streams themselves had fallen silent.

But now, the invigorating aromas of life and Spring once again permeated the air. The scents of freshly tilled dirt and cool, sweet water mingled with the rich perfumes of a dozen different flowers and everywhere there was life.

Inhaling deeply of the intoxicating medley of smells, Bunny had paused just for a moment to simply _be. _To stop and bask in the perfection of a singularly wonderful day, to drink it all in and to emblazon it permanently into his memory for a rainy day. It had only been a moment, but in that moment, the Warren itself had seemed to sigh in contentment.

And now, as he carefully shut the cabinet doors and headed towards his bedroom, he still felt lighter than air.

He had a long and likely arduous night ahead of him but even as he carefully arranged his boomerangs across his back and checked to make sure his gauntlets were on tight and fast, he felt nothing but peace.

As he had galloped through the tunnels towards a dark and dreary land, he was not worried, or anxious or even frightened.

He was rejuvenated, energized and determined.

Before the night was through, he would be shot at, chased by dogs, and even singed by a hail of shrapnel. But he would also (among other things) bring aid to a wounded child, lead a frightened one back home and leave enough bread, cheese and fruits to sustain a small, hungry family until their mother could return home with a fresh batch of supplies.

In the case of the last family, he knew his offering was but a little thing, but often it was the little things that kept a person going and besides, he would be back to check on them before the week was through and if there was anything else that he could do to help, he'd do his best to see it done.

By the time he'd finally returned to the Warren and collapsed, exhausted upon his bed, he had twice crisscrossed the globe, journeyed through dangerous lands and in his own small way, brought a bit of hope to those whose hope was gone.

All in all it had been a successful day and as he'd drifted off to sleep, ancient melodies from a lost and distant people filled his head and sweet, mellifluous laughter filled his heart.

That night his dreams were of lovely queens in wide brimmed hats, of life and Spring and good-natured contests to see who could eat the most chocolates in under a minute. But tomorrow all those dreams would turn to ash and there would be nothing but death and pain and loss and fear.

* * *

_**A/N**_: Well, there you have it my friends, part two of Toothiana's visit to the Warren! I hope y'all enjoyed it and I hope that you'll tune in next time to see what happens next!

Thanks a million times to all those kind souls who've stuck with me through the delay and a big hello to any and all new readers who've just come across this little story!

As always, thanks in advance to all who find the time to leave me a review, I really do love hearing from y'all, so thanks!

Stay tuned, because the next chapter should be up soon!

_**Up Next**_: _**Promises are made, promises are broken and the Easter Bunny doesn't take 'no' for an answer.  
**_

And to the folks I couldn't PM…..

**Rubypearl**-Hi! Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you liked it and I'm very excited that you're enjoying where it's headed! Have a good one!

**Sleepysandman**-Thanks for letting me know what you thought, mate! Means a lot and I hope I'll hear from you again.

**Avatar Aang**-Thank you! You're so lovely and you're so right, because of all the stuff Pitch is planning, absolutely none of it is good! Thanks for reading! Great to hear from you!


	7. Bad News Comes in Threes

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" nor any of the characters who appear in "Rise of the Guardians," I just like to play with 'em every once in a while. Bunny and all "Rise of the Guardians" characters belong to William Joyce and DreamWorks Animation.

_**A/N: **_Hello all! Thanks so much to all the lovely folks who've been reading and an extra thanks to all who've managed to find the time to leave a little review! I appreciate both greatly and I always love to hear what people think.

This chapter is coming up a little later than I had planned but the big Easter weekend was just so chock full of activity that it set me back a bit. I also changed a few things around so that took a little time as well, however, that's all been sorted so here we go!

As promised the story is going to start jumping around a bit from here on out so to fill you in; this chapter takes place during the film and begins almost immediately after Jack has fled the scene after the failure of Easter.

I really hope y'all like it but I guess I'll never know if you do unless I stop yapping and just let ya' read.

So, without further ado, please enjoy!

* * *

**Bad News Comes in Threes**

_In which promises are made, promises are broken and the Easter Bunny doesn't take 'no' for an answer_

Toothiana, Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies and the Guardian of Memory had known Aster Bunnymund, The Master of Spring and Guardian of Hope for a very long time.

Centuries had passed since they had first made each other's acquaintance and in that time, along with their fellow Guardians, Toothiana and Bunnymund had fought shoulder to shoulder against the most terrifying forces known to man (as well as a few that _weren't_ known) and had emerged victorious time and time again.

She believed it well within her rights to refer to him as a friend and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he held her in a similarly high regard.

There existed between them a deep bond of mutual respect, admiration and trust which had been forged over many years and many hardships.

Once, a very long time ago, when they had been little more than strangers, Bunnymund had promised Toothiana that when she gave the word, he would strike and not a moment sooner. In doing so, he had put his life into her hands and even though there had been a million reasons not to, he _had_ waited and he _had_ kept his promise.

Since then, he had made her many promises and had followed through without fail on each and every one. Toothiana had learned that Aster's word was his bond and that once the word was given; it was as immutable and constant as the sun in the sky.

In short, a promise from Aster was as genuine and steadfast as Aster himself.

Even still, she knew that it was inevitable that one day, Bunnymund _would_ break a promise to her and while she fervently believed that she could _never _truly think less of her friend for it, a tiny part of her feared that she _would._

She feared that after so many triumphs, a broken promise from the Pooka would leave her disappointed and he, somehow different in her eyes.

She knew it was a terrible thing to think. Aster was her _friend_, and he was a good and loyal one at that. One broken promise could not possibly change the way she saw him and in her heart, she knew that no matter what, she would _always_ be as true to Aster as he'd always been to her. But still, a part of her _was _afraid.

That was why on the day in which the noble Pooka finally _did_ break a promise to her, she was relieved to discover that she was in no way disappointed.

Even though he had promised her that the paltry offering he'd managed to scrape together would be enough and it had not been. Even though he had promised her that the children would not lose faith and they had. And even though he had promised her that Easter would turn everything around and it hadn't.

Still, she was anything but disappointed in him. Rather, she found herself more impressed than ever by her friend's conviction and faith. And she found that if she did see him differently at all, it was overwhelmingly for the better.

So, when Jack had fled and Aster had folded himself over in silent grief after the failure of Easter, Toothiana had rushed to his side and placed a small comforting hand upon his trembling back. Turning to glance at North, she waved a delicate hand and sent him to summon the sleigh.

Aster needed comfort not an audience and North, though well-meaning was unlikely to be of much help in this particular situation. Bunnymund was a surprisingly sensitive soul and Toothiana could tell that at that moment, he was absolutely devastated.

The stoop of his shoulders and the angle of his head prevented her from seeing if he was weeping but if the trembling of his shoulders was any indication, he was either just barely holding back the tears or for once, he was actually letting them fall.

Toothiana wasn't sure which option she found more disturbing so instead of leaning in for a closer look, she bowed her head and wrapped her arms around his quaking shoulders.

She hoped that through such a gesture Aster would understand that his was not the only heart that was breaking, that not only did she feel his grief and his pain but that no matter what happened from here out, she would be there for him.

As usual, without ever saying a word, she somehow knew that he did.

She'd never be able to say _how_ she was so certain, but it had something to do with the way he leaned almost imperceptibly into her arms and perhaps even more to do with the fact that when she leaned down to nuzzle the crown of his head with her cheek, he had stretched his neck upwards and nuzzled her right back.

It wasn't often that Aster was so open with his physical affection, even with Toothiana, so, in spite of the ugliness of their situation, she closed her eyes and savored the brush of warm fur against her skin. He shuddered and sighed and she realized belatedly that he wasn't crying; he was convulsing.

And it was getting worse.

Alarmed, she leaned backwards and dipped her head to search out Bunny's eyes.

"Bunny!? Are you okay?"

Bunny said nothing in response; he only groaned miserably and set a bracing hand against the ground as a particularly vicious tremor tore through him. Then, his breath hitched, his jaw set itself hard and Toothiana understood that he was in terrible pain.

Toothiana bit her lip anxiously and frowned. She didn't understand what was happening. If the children were losing their belief in Bunnymund, why was it painful? When Pitch had stolen her fairies and the children had been stopped believing in _her, _she had hardly felt anything. There had been a strange feeling of tiredness, maybe even a little exhaustion at her lowest point, but nothing like this!

Already Bunny, who was one of the strongest and bravest warriors that Toothiana had ever known, was curled in on himself with his eyes tightly shut and his muzzle screwed and twisted against the pain. It was utterly heartbreaking to watch but Toothiana knew that if she was hurting like this, she wouldn't want to be alone. So instead of turning away or running to call North, she stayed with Bunny and whispered softly that everything would be all right.

Again, Bunny said nothing, but he tilted his chin gingerly towards her and offered a tight, grateful little smile that was so brittle and thin that Toothiana felt tears begin to pool within her own eyes.

Immediately, the delicate smile fell and Bunny tipped himself forward to clumsily nuzzle his forehead against Toothiana's feathered shoulder.

She knew the gesture had been meant to comfort but suddenly her tears felt hotter and her throat felt tighter.

Behind her, North's heavy footfalls approached and without unwinding her arms from around Aster's shoulders, she turned her wide eyes towards North and whispered urgently, "He's hurting. Why?"

North frowned sadly and shook his head.

"The children, Toothiana, they no longer believe."

Her eyebrows knitted in confusion, "But, when I-it didn't _**hurt**_ me. I felt tired and slow, but it didn't hurt! Why is it _**hurting**_ him North?"

North shrugged his wide shoulders helplessly, "I don't know Toothiana, perhaps it is just too many, too fast."

Toothiana's feathers rustled anxiously and she wondered just what they were going to do now.

Pitch was still out there and without Sandy and Jack and now Bunny, it would be just her and North. And if the children had stopped believing in Bunny, how long was it before they had stopped believing in North or even _her?_ They'd be no match for Pitch then, he'd simply sweep them aside like a minor annoyance and then there'd be no one left to defend the children! It would be a disaster!

A low pained grunt sounded from within Toothiana's arms and she looked down to see Bunny slowly and stiffly pulling himself away from her protective embrace.

Carefully unwrapping her arms from around his fuzzy shoulders Toothiana watched in anxious trepidation as Bunny sluggishly pulled himself up and onto his unsteady legs.

"That's not gonna happen Tooth," he said shakily.

Toothiana gasped and her crown of feathers flared out in surprise. Had she said that out loud?

A low shivery chuckle rumbled through Bunny's chest and he swayed drunkenly on his feet.

"Yeah, Toothy, ya' said it out loud. But don't worry, we're not gonna let that happen. We're gonna head to the Pole and see just how much damage has been done. Then we're gonna figure out a way to turn all this back around. Right, North?"

North's eyes were troubled and apprehensive but he smiled broadly and nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! Bunny is right! We go to Pole, we assess and we _**plan**_! Pitch has not won yet! Come, we take sleigh!"

At the mention of the sleigh, Bunny groaned and let his head sag tiredly against his chest. North cast Toothiana a worried glance but with a reassuring smile, she motioned for him to go ahead. Then she fluttered closer to Bunny and took one of his clawed hands in her own.

"Bunny," she asked earnestly,"are you sure you're up for the sleigh? Cause if you're not, I know that we could find another way."

Genuinely touched by her concern but not yet ready to concede defeat, Bunny summoned up his most reassuring smile and did his best to sound confident when he replied, "It's okay Toothy, I'm not so bad off as it seems, I guess it's like North says, it was just sudden that's all. I'll be right as the mail in two shakes, promise."

Toothiana frowned and took a good hard look at her ailing friend.

To her dismay, he looked absolutely atrocious; his ears were drooping haphazardly around his face, his jaw was clenched in pain and he hadn't been able to regain his balance since the moment he'd stood up.

She sighed.

"Aster, don't try to be brave, if you can't do this, just let me know and we will find another way; the tunnels or the-."

Aster tore his eyes away from hers and shook his head sadly.

"No, Toothy, we can't, it has to be the sleigh. You'd never be able to carry both me and North and I-I can't use my tunnels."

The feathers on her brow scrunched together.

"What do you mean you can't use your tunnels? Why not?"

He cleared his throat and swung his eyes back to meet hers.

"I mean that I can't call my tunnels; I can't feel them and they can't hear me. It's the sleigh or nothing."

Toothiana gaped in horror at his confession and for a long uncomfortable moment, it was as if time had stopped. Neither moved an inch nor said a word. Then Toothiana set her jaw, swung his heavy arm around her shoulders and started them both towards the sleigh.

At Toothiana's magnificent determination, a brilliant, appreciative smile flashed across Bunny's face but then he tripped badly over his own feet and the once nimble rabbit was forced to focus all of his attention on the simple task of walking. He wavered with almost every step, his body shuddered and trembled beneath Toothiana's guiding hands and more than once, his strength abandoned him entirely and it was only Toothiana's swift intervention that prevented him from tumbling ingloriously to the ground. But eventually, they made it to the sleigh and Toothiana and North watched with anxious expressions as Bunny, panting and shivering, folded himself awkwardly into the seats.

The moment he was arranged, North cracked the reigns and ordered the reindeer home. As they rose into the air a great feeling of exertion washed over North and he realized with a start that his powers were waning too.

He gave a great shout of encouragement, urged his reindeer on harder and desperately hoped that he'd have at least enough strength left in him to get them safely to the Pole.

* * *

As it turned out, North _did _have enough strength to get them to the Pole but by the time they got there, no one had really felt like celebrating the victory.

Bunny had begun the journey curled awkwardly against the seats, gasping for breath and shivering uncontrollably and as they'd neared the Pole, his situation had only deteriorated. With disturbing alacrity his powers had diminished and before anyone realized what was happening, so had he.

First his tall, rangy frame began to look oddly delicate and small and then, his wide, powerful feet became shorter and slimmer.

After that, his dark, dexterous hands became small, clumsy paws and then, following a particularly violent tremor that forced his body into an impossibly tight ball, he had just…changed.

Suddenly, instead of a six foot two giant of a rabbit, there sat a tiny, bewildered little bunny barely as large as a child's house pet.

The whole process had taken less than a minute and though Toothiana had been a witness to it from start to finish even _she_ had hardly been able to believe her eyes.

One minute her friend had been beside her, the next minute he was gone, replaced by a tiny, quivering ball of fur that looked just as shocked as Toothiana did by the recent turn of events.

Frantically, he ran a diminutive paw across his muzzle and his huge, emerald eyes glittered with panic and tears.

"W-w-what happened?!"

Toothiana shook her head. "I-I don't know."

"I'm little!" Bunny squeaked.

Toothiana could only nod.

"I'm little!" He repeated in disbelief. "I'm as small as…." He trailed off and once more ran his eyes across his tiny frame. "I'm as little as I was…before, before I was a Guardian."

His small, fluffy ears drooped and his large, expressive eyes looked crestfallen. "I-I'm not-."

Suddenly, the sleigh landed with a crash and whatever Bunny had been about to say was forgotten as he was tossed roughly into the air. With impressively quick reflexes, Toothiana caught her friend in mid-air and returned him hurriedly to the relative safety of the still bouncing sleigh.

No sooner had they landed then they were beset by yetis. They swarmed from everywhere, desperately clamoring for North's attention and though Toothiana could only understand every third word they'd said, she knew it was about Pitch.

Apparently, they'd only just missed him and apparently, they needed to leave now.

Anxious, but certain that North would fill them in the very moment he knew everything; Toothiana's attention remained firmly on Bunnymund.

She had never seen him like this before and the shock was more than a little jarring.

She knew that she shouldn't stare but he was so small and...cute.

Now at least she knew why he'd forbidden North from ever speaking of it.

A crimson tinge colored her cheeks and she looked guiltily away. Aster was afraid, she reminded herself, he was in pain and he had just suffered a terrible, awful shock and he'd be _mortified_ if he caught her staring.

Luckily (and strangely) he hadn't even seemed to notice. Instead he had huddled himself nervously against the sideboards and tucked his chin down as close to his chest as he was able.

Toothiana wasn't sure why, but all of a sudden, he looked dreadfully overwhelmed. His short, downy ears had flattened themselves tightly against his skull and his wide, green eyes flicked skittishly about. If she hadn't known any better, she would have sworn that he was scared but that couldn't possibly be right, because what had he to fear at The Pole? It was both perplexing and worrying and Toothiana was but half a heartbeat away from scooping him protectively into her lap when abruptly, the yetis ceased their frenetic speech and North swiveled to address his fellow Guardians.

Unfortunately, the moment he caught sight of Bunnymund, his mouth dropped open and for a long excruciating moment Nicholas St. North could do nothing but gape. His loyal yetis followed his gaze and a low murmur of uneasy horror rippled through them as they cast pitying glances towards the once formidable Guardian.

Given the circumstances, it was a completely understandable reaction and though Toothiana was thoroughly sympathetic, she was also painfully aware that Bunnymund's expression had morphed into a heart breaking mixture of devastation, bewilderment and down-right embarrassment and so she had cleared her throat and surreptitiously gestured to North to move it along.

He shook his head as if clearing it and complied immediately.

"Bunny," he said in sad, choked voice, "What has happened?"

Seemingly ashamed, Bunny lowered his eyes and shrugged his narrow shoulders.

"They don't believe in me, North. Not anymore."

Taking in the information but asking no more, North nodded his head gravely and replied, "The yetis, they tell me that all but one of the lights have gone out."

Toothiana's feathers ruffled in agitation and Bunny lowered his head in shame.

"But there is more; they also tell me that _Pitch_ has been here, that he has seen the Last Light and that he is on his way to extinguish it."

Both of his fellow Guardians gasped and instantly, Bunny was rearing up onto his hind legs with indignation and rage written clearly across his features.

"Extinguish it!? Well, then we've gotta' go! Now! Come on, get this jalopy in gear!"

North licked his lips and considered his next words carefully.

"Bunny, of course we will go, if there is even one light left then of course we must go, but do you not think it wiser for you to stay here, with the yetis, where it is safe?"

For an instant, Bunny froze. His eyes were wide and disbelieving and his jaw was slack in horrified outrage but then he planted his feet, puffed out his tiny chest and set his jaw decisively.

"Oh, no ya' don't North, yer not lobbing me off on the yetis just yet. I may be smaller now, but I am _still_ a Guardian! So why don't ya' cut yer chatter, turn around and get this heap off the ground?"

North glanced hesitantly towards Tooth and Bunny growled in frustration and banged the side of the sleigh angrily.

"Oi, _I'm_ talkin' to you, North! And I'm _tellin'_ ya to get this sleigh moving! Pitch has already gotten a head start and if you think we've got time to sit around arguing about this, then yer crazier than I thought."

Both Toothiana and North winced at Bunny's still powerful voice and noticing it, Aster took a slow, deep breath.

"Look," he said in a tight, stiff voice, "we don't have time to debate this. That kid's in trouble and whether you believe that I can help anymore or not, that kid out there _does, _so I'm going. Besides," he added in a somewhat lighter tone, "I wanna be there when Toothiana lays this ratbag out for nicking her girls."

A manic, delighted smile lit up North's face and Toothiana, dazzled by Bunny's spirit, momentarily forgot the grimness of their situation and smirked with malevolent glee as she motioned for North to begin his takeoff.

"Is settled then," North declared, "We go, we stop Pitch and Tooth Fairy makes Boogeyman pay for kidnapping little Baby Tooth!"

With that, he gave a thunderous roar and snapped the reigns.

The reindeer bucked and snorted and the yetis clapped and cheered.

The lost cause from a moment ago was now a thoroughly winnable Battle.

The Guardians may have been bruised but they were not beaten yet.

They would go to Burgess and they would fight, because as long as one child believed that they could make a difference, they would.

* * *

A/N: Well there you go my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter is actually going to pick up where this one left off, so we'll have a little more of this flashback and then we'll jump back into the main-present day storyline.

Thanks again to all of y'all for tuning in! I hope you'll stick around for the next chapter!

_**Up Next: **_The Guardians take a harrowing trip, a harsh reality is discovered and the Master of Spring despairs.


	8. Fear, Triumph, Despair and Hope

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" nor any of the characters who appear in "Rise of the Guardians," I just like to play with 'em every once in a while. Bunny and all "Rise of the Guardians" characters belong to William Joyce and DreamWorks Animation.

_**A/N: **_Like the last chapter, this one takes place within the time frame of the movie. This chapter starts off right where the last chapter left off; with the Guardians making their way to Burgess to protect the Last Light.

That's pretty much all the set-up you need. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Fear, Triumph, Despair and Hope

_The Guardians take a harrowing journey, a harsh reality is discovered and the Master of Spring despairs._

The flight to Burgess was tense and bumpy.

North's movements had become increasingly stiff and clumsy and with every second that passed, he had seemed to be having more and more trouble controlling the sleigh. The reindeer had careened wildly from side to side and it was all that Toothiana and Aster could do to hang on and stay in their seats. But, because it seemed like it was talking everything that North had to even keep them in the air, neither Tooth nor Bunny had possessed the heart to complain. Instead, they had gritted their teeth and dealt with the situation as best they could.

It was particularly difficult on Bunnymund. He was a terrible flyer even on his best day and now, small as he was, it was even worse. The wind shrieked into his sensitive ears and every buck of the sleigh threatened to launch him bodily into the night. And yet, even he, preoccupied though he was by the daunting challenge of keeping himself within the sleigh, could see that Toothiana was faring barely any better.

With every bump and jolt, she was tossed and flung and seemed only just barely able to right herself every time. Normally she would have used her wings to compensate for the unevenness of the ride but somewhere along the way she had lost the use of them and she was finding it more than a little difficult to adjust.

Beside her, Bunny dug his claws (such as they were) into the wooden seats with all his might and tried desperately not to notice just how many beautiful feathers were cascading off of Toothiana's shoulders as she flailed and grappled for balance.

Suddenly, another bump shook the sleigh and a shower of iridescent feathers fluttered into the wind. One landed upon Bunnymund's brow and he pawed it miserably away.

"Toothiana," he called out over the roar of the wind, "Toothiana!"

She didn't respond.

It was no wonder, her face was turned away from him and the wind was howling like a banshee all around them. If Aster wanted her attention, he was going to have to close the distance between them.

It wasn't far or at least it wouldn't have been if he was still….him. But he wasn't and now the short distance felt very vast indeed. Carefully, so very carefully, he pulled his claws up and placed one timid paw after the other until finally, he was by her side.

The way the sleigh had been bouncing all over the place had made the trek more nerve racking than usual but in the end, he had managed to close the distance between them without incident. Then, he'd raised one humiliatingly small and fluffy paw and tapped her insistently upon the leg until she turned towards him.

Immediately, she met his gaze with a warm, sweet smile and leaned carefully down to his level.

"Aster, is something wrong?"

He winced, though her voice was nowhere near as loud or overwhelming as the yetis' or the wind, it was still jarring. He'd forgotten how big and loud the world could be when you were small. But he didn't have time to dwell on the many injustices of size, so he wriggled closer and stretched his neck out to yell into Toothiana's ear.

"Are you okay?"

The question seemed to surprise her and she nodded hesitantly.

Aster scrunched his nose, she seemed….off. Tired definitely, but given the circumstance that was to be expected, no, it was something else.

He strained his neck towards her and asked again.

"Are you sure?"

Again, Toothiana hesitated before answering. It was strange for her to hear Aster's voice coming from such a form. On the one hand, the disparity between form and voice emphasized the wrongness of the situation and on the other, his strong, familiar tones reminded her that whatever he might look like, he was _still _Aster. And in the face of such a tumultuous day it was tremendously reassuring to know that her friend, however changed, was _still_ by her side.

"I'm fine Bunny," she said sincerely, "I'm just feeling a little tired I guess."

He nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment before he asked in a grim, anxious voice, "you aren't hurting are ya' Toothy?"

She smiled gently. "No, Bunny, I'm not hurting." He looked skeptical and she was quick to reassure him, "I _promise_."

He narrowed his eyes and gave her a long considering look. It was a strangely discerning expression on so tender a face and Toothiana couldn't help but find it a little unnerving. Finally, after seemingly assuaging his suspicions, Bunnymund nodded with satisfaction and turned his gaze away.

Toothiana sighed with relief and so did Bunny. He was glad that Toothiana wasn't in any pain and he hoped that North wasn't either. Not only because he was afraid that they might just fall out of the sky if North was suddenly stricken by debilitating pain, but also because, well, he just didn't want either of them to suffer.

They were his friends.

And besides, he thought, as another tendril of fire burned through him, he was in enough pain for all of them.

* * *

Aster smiled brightly at little Sophie, waved to the other kids and clambered not unwillingly into the sleigh.

That action in itself was a testament to just how good of mood he was in. Normally, he would have done anything in his power to avoid a trip in North's big flying death trap but today was different. Today, Pitch's unexpectedly effective offensive had been put down, the Sandman had returned, the world had been saved and the Guardians had added a fine new addition to their ranks.

And so, instead of protesting or making a run for the nearest rabbit hole, Aster had piled into the sleigh along with the other Guardians and smiled while he did it.

Unfortunately, his stomach wasn't nearly as agreeable and when the sleigh pulled gracefully up and into the sky, he couldn't prevent a miserable little groan from escaping from between his tightly clenched teeth.

Beside him, Toothiana patted his hand sympathetically and he chuckled nervously and shot her a wide, grateful smile.

He felt like he'd been throwing her those all day but if he had, it was only because they had been so ridiculously warranted. From the moment that Sandy had disappeared, it had been Toothy who'd bolstered Aster's spirit and once Easter had been destroyed, there had been times when it had felt like her guiding presence had been the only thing keeping him upright.

And more than once it quite _literally_ had been.

He didn't know how he would have made it through such a day without her and he swore to himself that somehow, someway he'd repay her kindness in full. He knew that it would take more than a little time and a whole lot of work to do it properly, but for now, he figured that he could at least say the words.

And so, he smiled, a little shyly, moved to cover her small hand with his own and-jerked hastily backwards as the blue clad form of Jack Frost plopped itself unexpectedly down between their bodies.

Bunny scowled reflexively but upon seeing Jack's wild, joyful expression he hurriedly smoothed his features out and offered Jack a solid, genuine smile.

The winter sprite hadn't been trying to be a pest, he reminded himself; he'd just been too absorbed in waving goodbye to the kids to notice that he'd practically hurled himself right into Aster's lap. On any other day, Aster might have snapped at the kid to watch what he was doing but at that exact moment, he couldn't really blame Frost for being excited. After all, those little ankle-biters down there were his very first believers and who wouldn't have been excited about that?

Besides, if it hadn't been for Jack, the day's victory could very easily have been a defeat instead. The Guardians could have been finished and Aster himself almost certainly would have been. It was Jack after all, who had assured Jamie of the Easter Bunny's existence and though the others had seemed not to have noticed, Aster had been well aware of the boy's dubiety.

He had _felt_ it.

There in the skies above Burgess he had known the exact second when little Jamie had lost his belief. It had been only for a moment and then Jack must have reassured him, but it had happened all the same and Aster would never forget it. His heart had hammered in chest so swiftly that it had hurt, his veins had burned with fire and his ears had rung as every sound had intensified and then quieted all at once. His breath had leapt from his body and all around him the world had turned suddenly and unfathomably cold.

But then, as swiftly as it had come, the terror had receded. Abruptly, the air had returned to his lungs, the sounds of the night had warped and bent themselves back to normal, and the fires in his veins had flickered and cooled.

At the time, he had instinctively known what that agony had meant but it wasn't until they had landed and spoken with Jamie that Aster had realized the full extent of what had happened. He realized that his instinct had been correct; for a brief and terrible second, Aster had lost each and every one of his believers and in that moment, when his entire world had gone cold, it had been Jack Frost, of all people, who had turned it warm again.

It was….bizarre, unbelievable and entirely unexpected.

But it was also good.

After three hundred years of tension and antagonism, Aster believed that they had finally arrived at an understanding. Jack seemed to have attained, at long last, a real understanding of what it was that the Guardians did and what they held dear and Aster had been forced to acknowledge that there was a great deal more to Jack Frost than just slinging snowballs and ruining his egg hunts.

It had taken them a long time to get to this point but Aster was glad they had.

Not only because without Jack, the day might have turned out very differently but also because if Jack Frost was capable of such nobility, then Aster Bunnymund wanted to know about it. Otherwise, he'd just go on thinking that the kid was nothing more than a spoiled, selfish brat and something about that was just very, very wrong.

This was the start of a new beginning and Bunny aimed to start it off right.

"Oi, Frost," he called over the wind.

Jack smiled a little brighter and leaned excitedly towards him.

"Listen, mate," Bunny started, "I just wanted to tell ya' that ya' did real good today."

Jack's smile widened even further and Bunny continued.

"If it hadn't been for you, I don't know what we woulda' done. You really came through for us, and the kids and-. What I mean is, you really came through for _everybody_, especially me and I just want you to know that we—I-appreciate what ya' did."

If possible, Jack's smile grew even more brilliant and Toothiana, who was doing a very good job of seeming as if she was too preoccupied by the scenery to notice what they were discussing, tilted her head away and hid a pleased little smile.

Then, Aster clapped a heavy paw upon Jack's shoulder and told him in no uncertain terms that he thought he had been a fine choice for a Guardian.

By that point, Jack's smile was so wide that there was a definite danger that the top of his head might just fall off. Aster took that as a good sign and decided that yes, perhaps they _really_ had managed to come to an understanding.

* * *

Bunny threw one last happy smile towards his fellow Guardians and tiredly tapped one long foot upon the ground. There was a terrifyingly long moment of hesitation and when the ground finally opened up wide and welcoming, Bunny heaved a sigh of relief.

The other Guardians had recovered well, if not to peak strength than at least to something pretty close to it and Bunny thanked every force in the universe that it was it so.

Unfortunately, _he_ was exhausted.

He was done in, weak and feeling less believed in than he had for centuries and all he wanted in the world was to return to his cottage and sleep for a week. But before he could do that, he had one last big task to complete and with every bone in his body, he was dreading it.

The joy and optimism of victory had begun to dissipate soon after the return to the Pole when, as he had watched the other Guardians grow flush with believers; he had come to the disturbing realization that his own strength was not returning nearly as swiftly.

If anything, the exertions of the day were wearing heavily upon his already weakened body and while his fellow Guardians seemed to grow stronger with every passing moment, he seemed to diminish. Eventually, it occurred to him that if he was faring so poorly, then the Warren was in serious trouble. It was as tied to him as the Palace was to Tooth and if he was feeling so terrible, then the Warren couldn't possibly be feeling much better.

Dreading what he might find but determined to face whatever it might be head on, he turned away from his fellow Guardians and moved to hop down into his tunnel.

However, a second before he could drop inside, a soft humming of wings caught his attention and he paused to see Toothiana suddenly hovering nearby.

"Aster, are you leaving so soon?"

Bunny smiled genuinely but tired as he was, it ended up looking noticeably wan and thin.

"Yeah, Toothy, I expect I've got a lotta work waiting for me back home and if I do nothing else tonight, I at least gotta see how bad it is."

Toothiana nervously bit her lip and hovered nearer to her friend. She didn't need him to elaborate any further; she knew he was talking about the Warren. And that's why she was so very concerned; the Warren had been absolutely destroyed during the battle and who knew what losing all those believers had done to it. Toothiana was no fool, Aster might have been putting on a brave front, but she could see it in the flat, groggy look of his eyes that he was not recuperating the way she and the others were.

And if it was so with Aster then there was no telling what state the Warren might be in.

"Why don't I go with you? I could-."

Aster smiled gratefully but shook his head sternly.

"No, Toothiana, thank you, but I'd rather do this alone."

Toothiana worried her lip a little more but nodded her acceptance. If that was what Bunny wanted, then as always, she would respect his wishes.

But that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Okay, Bunny, I'll stay, but please, if you need anything, anything at all, please don't hesitate to call. I'm only a Tooth Palace away," she added with a singsong voice.

Bunny laughed softly and used one arm to pull Toothiana into a slightly awkward half-hug.

"Thanks Toothy, really I will. And…thank you…for today. I don't know how I woulda' made it through it without ya."

More than a little stunned by Bunny's sudden and unexpected display of affection, Toothiana could only nod and wave encouragingly as his rangy form disappeared down the tunnel.

The second Aster dropped his aching body inside the tunnel he heaved a great sigh of relief. Inside, safely beyond the sight of Toothy and the other Guardians, he could finally relax.

Every bone in his body ached, he was beyond exhausted and there was headache throbbing just behind his eyes that hadn't dissipated or relented for _hours_.

And, still fearing what he might find at the Warren, every fiber of his being was balking at his return. So, instead of bounding swiftly down the tunnels as he usually did, he limped slowly homeward and took the time to steel himself against the waiting horror.

The moment the tunnel opened up to his domain, Aster was glad that he had, because the Warren was in ruins.

The detritus from the earlier battle had not yet been cleared away and everywhere there were shells and pieces of poor little googies who had never stood a chance. The ones that had joined him topside to amuse little Sophie had been the few who'd survived, but the rest of their little mates lay shattered and broken upon every surface of the Warren, and the beautiful, vibrant colors of their shells contrasted nastily with the devastation of their circumstance.

But that wasn't even the worst of it.

More concerning to Aster was that the whole of the Warren seemed _sick_. Wilted, drooping flowers covered his fields and brown, decaying grasses crumbled and turned to powder beneath his feet.

The soil had become hot and dry and dusty and the long tangling branches of his trees had turned brittle and snarled.

Even the babbling streams had fallen silent and stagnant.

Clearly the events of the day had hit the Warren harder than even Aster had imagined and it was going to take unfathomable amounts of work to return the Warren to its former glory.

More than that, it was going to take an awful lot of believers.

And unfortunately, at just that moment, Bunny was finding that when it came to those, he was in depressingly short supply.

He sighed heavily and collapsed dejectedly onto his haunches.

It would be a whole _year_ before Easter, a _year_ before he would even have the _chance_ to reassert his existence, and a _year _before the children would believe again.

That is, if they ever did.

Who knew? What if the damage was irreparable? What if they never believed again at all?

Bunny cradled his head in his hands and groaned as despair boiled up like bile.

It was too much. All of it; the battle; the destruction; the loss of believers, the failure of Easter…..

It was just too much.

He'd worked for _centuries_ to build his reputation, to build Easter, to cultivate belief and hope and now in one fell swoop, he'd lost it all. It would be difficult, so terribly difficult to rebuild it all and now he was _so_ _tired_. Everything ached, his head was swimming, his heart was broken and he was just _exhausted._

A sob tightened his throat and within moments hot tears were pricking viciously at his eyes.

Valiantly, he tried to hold them back. After all, he hadn't cried when the Nightmares had destroyed his lovely eggs and he hadn't cried when the children had stopped believing. Even when the pain had become unbearable and his entire world had tilted and frozen over, even then he had somehow managed to hold it together.

But now, overwhelmed by the too sweet smell of decay in a land of eternal Spring and surrounded by the destruction of his beloved Easter, he cried.

He wept sad, bitter tears and tangled his fingers into the dark coarse fur along his neck.

He cried because for the other Guardians life was already returning to normal. Toothiana would go back to collecting the teeth, Sandy would bring dreams and soon North would bring Christmas. It would be just like every other year, there'd be no disruption and no interval between this year and last, but for Aster, there would always be this _failure_. There would _always _be the year that Easter _never _came and what if the children never forgot? What if they always looked back on this year as the year that the Easter Bunny had failed? What if he could never make it up to them? He'd be working from a deficit this year, with ten times the work and a fraction of the strength, what if he couldn't pull it together? What if the offering he brought next year wasn't enough? What if they never forgave him?

Already the other Guardians seemed flush with power, but he, he could still feel just how very many children he'd lost and just how very few had returned. What if he could never again convince them to hope? What if _his failure_ had ruined it for them?

More than a lifetime ago, he had sworn on his life to protect them, and now look what he'd done.

It was all _so _much; so much loss, so much pain, so much worry and so much disappointment.

And so, he cried. And the tears were hot and he choked on their bitterness.

Then, suddenly, the Warren itself seemed to stir in the face of her Master's anguish. As one, every plant and tree roused and stretched themselves towards him, desperate and yearning to comfort.

Blinded by tears and absorbed in his misery, Aster did not see them as they strained for him but he did _feel_ them and, startled by their sudden animation, he blinked his tears away and gaped up in surprise.

All around, the very plants and trees of the Warren reached out for him. They called to him, they ached for him and they pulsed with such a need to comfort that he realized that hope had not yet been lost.

For as weak and as wounded as the Warren was, beneath all that death and decay, Aster could _feel_ the vitality that still remained.

Everywhere, below the stench and reek of decay, was the smell of life and _Spring. _

And where there was life, there was hope.

A tentative ember of excitement began to burn in Bunny's chest and though he continued to sniffle slightly, with every second that passed, his resolve hardened and grew.

Absently brushing one last tear away and rising to his full impressive height, Bunny once again surveyed his realm.

There was death everywhere he looked and decay everywhere else, but it was not permanent.

Life and energy and Spring _still_ flowed within the Warren and Aster would be damned if he'd let it all go without a fight.

So what if he was weak and sorely lacking in believers?

He'd been far weaker than this once before and he hadn't let it stop him then, so why let it stop him now? He'd already gotten back a _few_ believers after all and a few was better than one, so really, he'd _already_ made progress.

Also, there was a good chance that by simply doing their nightly rounds, Toothy and Sandy were _every day_ reaffirming the children's belief not just in themselves, but in all of them!

Legendary spirits such as they were a bit of package deal after all and even if it wasn't _always_ the case, it still _could _be.

And so what if he had to wait a whole year before he'd get the chance to reassert Easter? It wasn't as if Easter was the _only_ way he'd ever spread hope. There was a lot more to his job than just Easter. For years, before and after he'd been chosen, he'd been traveling the world, bringing hope and help wherever he could and though he wasn't nearly as famous for that as he was for Easter, it didn't mean that he didn't do it. And now, since there was a decidedly smaller amount of hope in the world, well, he'd just have to step it up. He'd double—no, triple-his efforts and he would prove that no matter what anyone thought, hope was _still _alive, hope was _still_ strong and hope had _not_ given up. Easter would just be the icing on the cake.

He could do it. He'd done it once before, so why not again?

He'd be working from a deficit sure, but who cared? Once upon a time, the entire world had been drowning in fear and darkness and even then, he had managed, one child at time, to help them see that there was more to life than fear; there was hope.

And if he had been able to do it then, he could do it now.

He'd nurse the Warren back to health, he'd replant the paint flowers and the googie blooms and by the time next Easter rolled around, he'd be ready to go!

He'd give those kids the most spectacular Easter they'd ever seen and before North could say Rimsky-Korsakov; he'd be back and stronger than ever.

He smiled broadly and patted the earthen wall beside him.

"Don't worry, darlin," he said reassuringly, "I won't let ya' down. We'll get through this and by the time the sun comes up on Easter morning, I promise ya' that we'll be ready."

The trees around him seemed to sway joyously in response and even the dying flowers seemed to stand a little taller.

For a moment Aster simply closed his eyes and just _felt_ the thrum of life that persisted beneath his feet. Then he knelt beside the nearest stream, placed his hand beside it and whispered, "Wake up."

When at first nothing happened, the Warren tensed and shuddered around him, but then, after one more beat of silence, the little stream sprang to life and the glorious sound of running water once again filled the air.

Bunny bowed his head, said a quick prayer of thanks to whoever was listening and then, as the Warren buzzed with joy around him, he stood up and set himself about the task of preparing for Easter.

* * *

A/N: Well, there ya go my friends, the conclusion to our little foray into the past. I hope you enjoyed it cause I know flashbacks aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I really wanted to write this and I thought it might shed a bit of light on where Bunny was coming from in a couple of different areas.

Also, in regards to Bunny's public displays of affection: I see Bunny as the type who is pretty free with casual displays like a clapping a mate on the back, but who is still pretty reserved with the more intimate kinds of gestures like hugs or snuggling. It's a fine distinction, I know, but to me, there is a difference and Bunny seems the type who would be very conscious of those distinctions, especially in public.

Anyway, I hope that you liked it and I would like to take a second to thank all the readers both new and old. You guys really are amazing and I can't tell you how excited I get when I see that people are not only reading this little story but enjoying it.

I've never written as frequently as I've always desired, simply because I've never had the guts and I've never done a project of this size before because of the very same reason. However, your kind words and encouragement have gone a long way in building my confidence, so for that, I really must thank you.

Here's hoping you'll all tune back in for the next chapter! Cheers!

_**Next time**_: Pitch makes a move, Jack Frost returns to the Warren and the boys have a lot in common.


	9. Gifts

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" nor any of the characters who appear in "Rise of the Guardians," I just like to play with 'em every once in a while. Bunny and all "Rise of the Guardians" characters belong to William Joyce and DreamWorks Animation.

_**A/N: **_Hello! Gosh, I feel like it's been forever since I've updated and I feel just terrible about it, but the last month or two was my busiest time of the season and unfortunately, I don't get to have fun until I get my work done first. Fortunately, that season has passed and I'm looking at a few good months of naught but rest, relaxation and writing. Needless to say, I'm extremely excited about it.

Anyways, enough about me! Here's the newest chapter in this little tale. It takes place back in our 'present day' continuity, which is, in other words, a little while after the events of Chapter Six.

I very much hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Gifts

_In which gifts come in many forms _

A pale sliver of yellow light slipped through the tiny opening between Aster's curtains and spilled tentatively into the room. The delicate rays were the sun's first offerings of the morning and they were by custom and by practice the means by which Aster Bunnymund traditionally arose to greet the day. Today however, like most days in recent memory, those gentle rays did not succeed in rousing Aster from a deep and restful sleep. Instead, those timid rays of morning succeeded only illuminating the tired, troubled features of a still restlessly slumbering Aster Bunnymund. After a quarter of an hour, the tiny sliver of light began to transform into a tiny sliver of warmth and after another, into an uncomfortable band of lingering heat which grew both wider and hotter with every passing minute.

And after a solid hour, Aster's exhausted body was no longer capable of ignoring the presence of the light. So, with his eyes still firmly closed and his mind still deeply immersed in sleep, he gave an irritated, throaty little growl and rolled his head petulantly away from the offending heat.

When another twenty minutes had passed, the little swath of light had expanded to engulf his entire pillow and no matter how Bunny turned his head, he was unable to escape it.

Finally, after attempting to the evade the light in every possible way his still sleeping body could conceive of, the stubbornness of the little rays began to pay off and Aster Bunnymund slowly and begrudgingly began to rouse himself from the stupor of sleep.

At first the excessive warmth on his face and the brightness in his eyes was mistaken for the fires that burned and blazed within his nightmares but eventually, his muddled brain began to understand that one was real and one was not and soon thereafter his eyes were open and wild and he laid panting for breath, waiting for the screams and fires of his nightmares to recede back into the darkness of sleep. It took more than a few moments for the nightmares to retreat and his breathing to steady and only once this had occurred, did Aster finally realize that it was morning. The second his brain reached that realization, he groaned miserably and burrowed his head deeper into his pillow.

He couldn't believe it was morning already. It seemed like only minutes ago, he had been collapsing wearily on top of his covers and now, already he was being summoned to start another day.

Aster buried his face desperately into his pillow and the tiniest of whimpers sounded from the back of his throat.

He found it thoroughly impossible to believe that the morning could have possibly arrived already. It just couldn't have. Not yet. Not when he'd only _just_ gotten to sleep and not when what precious little sleep he _had_ gotten had been restless and thin and haunted by nightmares.

It just couldn't be morning yet.

Surely it was a trick of the light. Surely, it couldn't _possibly_ be as late as it felt.

Hoping against hope that it was so, he rolled onto his back with a grunt and not without a great deal of effort, he lifted his head slightly off the pillow and squinted irritably into the cheerful light of the sun. A moment later, he dropped his head dejectedly back down and whimpered sadly.

It was no trick of the light. It really _was _as late as he'd thought and maybe even later.

Great, that was just what he needed, another late start in a disturbingly frequent string of them, great, just _wonderful_.

Running a wide palm across his face, Aster groaned one last time and pulled himself into a sitting position on the side of his bed. He was irritated at another night of lousy sleep and cutting nightmares and he was even more irritated that his troubles in the night were constantly bleeding into his days. If he had still been trying to get his crops planted and the chocolate room back up to snuff it would have been entirely unacceptable. As it was, it was _still_ completely and unequivocally galling, especially on this particular day when he was expecting company and had more than a few errands to complete before he could settle down to enjoy _that _happy visit.

He supposed he _could_ just call the visit off. That way he could catch a few more hours of sleep and _still _have more than enough time to complete his work. But then again….it did seem terribly rude to cancel so suddenly….and he _had _really been looking forward to it….

In fact, he'd been looking forward to this particular visit for _weeks._ So, instead of calling it off, he decided that maybe he'd just work doubly hard and keep his engagement anyway. After all, it _had_ been weeks since he'd last seen Jack and though he'd have thought it crazy to propose a few months ago, he had a feeling that seeing his friend might help him overcome the foul mood that had settled over him in recent weeks.

Besides, he had a surprise for the kid and it would be a shame to postpone that.

So, using the prospect of seeing Jack's face when he showed him his surprise as his new motivation, Aster summoned every last scrap of his will, restrained himself from flopping backwards onto to the bed for a few more precious hours of sleep and set out to begin his day.

The day had had a rocky start and his morning routine was pursued far more irritably than usual, with his movements becoming jerky and rough and his temper hovering perpetually on the edge of fraying, but by the time mid-day (and Jack's visit) came around, his nerves had smoothed themselves out and he found, much to his surprise that he was in remarkably fine spirits.

The horrors of the past, which had seemed so fresh and vivid that morning, had finally begun to fade into mere shadows and as Aster had prepared a neat little meal of the crispest vegetables from his garden, he was feeling far better than he had in days.

On other days the nightmares of his uneasy sleep had lingered well into his waking hours and it had taken everything he had to go about his business as if those horrors were not continuously being played out against the sun-drenched backdrop of his Warren and as if he could not hear the screams of his family echoing relentlessly throughout his cottage. It was a somber and nearly impossible task on most days and Aster was relieved beyond measure that on this day, the happy anticipation of seeing a friend had successfully chased those demons back into the corners of his mind and away from the present. Otherwise, he might have spent another day miserably shutting his eyes against visions of tragedies long past or mindlessly filling the air with pointless music in a desperate attempt to pretend that he could not _still _ hear their screams. This disparity was made all the sweeter by his awareness of it and in response, his spirits climbed even higher. And so, as he waited rather eagerly for Jack beside the lonely little pond in Burgess, he found, to his great surprise that he was barely able to contain his excitement.

It was going to be the first time that Aster had seen Jack since Toothiana had revealed to him the great esteem with which Jack apparently held him and Aster, who had been immeasurably touched by this revelation, was eager to show the boy that he held his friendship in similar regard. Indeed, he had been so very touched by the boy's esteem that he had decided to impart upon him a small gift, which he was certain could articulate his affection for the boy far more clearly than his own heartfelt yet simple words.

He only wished Jack would turn up already though, because truly, the anticipation was killing him. Almost at the exact moment that the thought flitted through his mind, he felt a nearly imperceptible change in the winds and knew without a doubt that Jack was on his way. Peering up curiously at the sky, Aster shifted on his long wide feet and awaited Jack's arrival. He had a bit longer to wait, for his sensitive senses could detect a shift in the wind far sooner and with greater accuracy than most, but after a few more long moments, an unmistakable chill cut sharply through the air and seconds later, he spotted the small, silvery form of Jack Frost flitting recklessly through the sky and straight towards him.

"Bunny!" cried Jack when he caught sight of the older Guardian.

"Heya Frostbite," Bunny greeted, "how ya doin?"

"Oh pretty good," replied Jack as he landed gracefully beside Aster, "Just got back from South America, you know how Tierra del Fuego gets!"

Aster's nose scrunched involuntarily with distaste because, yes, he did in fact know how it got in Tierra del Fuego and frankly, he didn't much care for it.

At his obvious distaste, Jack sniggered and elbowed Bunny good-naturedly in the ribs.

"Oh, come on Bunny! It's not _that _cold, at least not yet anyway. Why don't you come down with me tomorrow and I'll show you-."

Bunny laughed and playfully swatted Jack's sharp little elbow away from him.

"Oh, no ya' don't. Yer not dragging me down to that iceberg they're calling a country. I do perfectly fine where it's warm and dry."

Jack rolled his eyes and snorted.

"You're such a wimp."

Aster stood a little straighter and puffed his chest out in mock indignation.

"A wimp? Hey, I can _handle_ the cold," he paused and flashed Jack a crooked smile, "I just don't _like _to."

Again, Jack rolled his eyes, but just as before, there was no malice in it and instead of taking offence at the action, Bunny chuckled lightly and nudged his shoulder into Jack's with just enough force to knock him slightly off balance. Jack giggled and shifted his weight to steady himself against his staff, then with a smile still firmly plastered across his features he righted himself and ran a pale hand through his tousled hair.

"So how've you been doin,' Bunny, how are the crops?"

Bunny smiled proudly and answered with considerable enthusiasm.

"Oh, they're doin' fine, mate. Really fine, you wouldn't believe how far they've come since ya' last saw 'em."

Jack wrapped both hands around the neck of his staff and leaned forward eagerly.

"Really! They're growing?"

"Oooh, like beauties."

The younger Guardian positively beamed with delight and Aster decided that he'd probably never have a more perfect opportunity to gracefully segue into his big surprise.

"In fact," he continued, "they're growing so well that not only are they are on track for next Easter, but I think they're gonna be one of my best harvests yet."

Jack's eyes grew wide and dazzled.

"_Really?"_

Aster chuckled.

"Yeah, mate, really and….I think...that I've got you to thank for that."

Jack's lower jaw dropped a little and he seemed taken aback, so Aster smiled softly and forged ahead.

"If it weren't for you, instead of being ahead a' the game, I'd probably _still_ be playin' catch up and I just want ya' to know that I really appreciate everything ya' did. You didn't have to offer to help me along, but ya' did and…you really came through….again," he paused a little and pawed at the bandolier across his chest.

There, in the place of his usual explosives was a small circular something wrapped all around in verdant silk and golden ribbon. He pulled this object from its leather casing and placing it within the palm of his own hand, offered it to Jack.

"This is for you, to say thanks, for everything."

For a beat or two, Jack simply stared, stunned and wondering, at the proffered little object and it was only when Bunny had extended his hand slightly further towards him with a nervous little smile that Jack finally took up the silken object from Bunny's palm.

Suddenly, inexplicably nervous, Bunny shifted his weight from foot to foot and anxiously ran one fuzzy hand across the gems of his bracers.

"Open it, mate," Aster urged, "It won't bite."

Turning the little gift over in his hands, Jack looked up briefly and asked, "What is it?"

Aster laughed and smiled crookedly, "It's a surprise, ya' gumby—open it and find out."

Chuckling a bit at his friend's uniquely gruff version of sentimentality, Jack began to pull the golden ribbon away from the silk covered object. After only a moment's fumbling, both the golden ribbon and the verdant silk had fallen away to reveal a flat, circular little stone that looked as if it belonged on the bottom of a riverbed. An unusually lovely specimen of what appeared to be some kind of granite; the heavy little stone was absolutely perfect on one side, with a fine, barely grainy texture and a soft almost heather grey coloration. On the opposite side, the evenness of its coloring was the same but the smoothness of its surface was marred by deep, black-filled engravings of a striking and oddly familiar set of markings. There were three main figures, each one sharp and almost diamond shaped, with one standing upright between the others and the others lying slightly angled from the middle one's base so that the effect was remarkably similar to that of the petals of a flower. Tracing the dark black engravings with one finger as if to jog his memory, Jack suddenly looked up at Bunny and realized why these particular markings had seemed so infuriatingly familiar; they were the exact same markings that adorned the fur of Bunny's forehead.

Unfortunately, the identification of these markings gave Jack very little insight into the mystery of Bunny's gift and so, he gaped up at Bunny with a quizzical look and asked, "Bunny, what is this?"

Having grown more anxious the longer it had taken Jack to inspect his surprise, Aster cleared his throat and fiddled slightly with the bandolier across his chest.

"It's a summoning stone."

Jack's eyebrows crinkled in confusion.

"A summoning stone? For what?"

Aster licked his lips.

"For tunnels, mate. Specifically, for tunnels to the Warren."

Jack's bright eyes narrowed in thought. He seemed to be putting the pieces together, but Bunny couldn't bear to draw the thing out any longer.

"It's a summoning stone for _my _tunnels, Jackie. You just hold onto it, tell it ya' wanna go to the Warren and no matter where you are in the world, a tunnel will open up and take ya' straight to the Warren."

Jack's dark eyebrows flew into his hairline and his features assumed an expression of almost perfect disbelief.

"But that'll mean I can come to the Warren anytime I want!"

It had been a statement, but for some reason that Aster couldn't properly identify, it had sounded like a question and for another reason which Aster couldn't properly identify either, that bothered him greatly.

"Yeah, Jack, I _know_, that's why I gave it to, ya'."

"Really?!" Jack seemed so surprised by his answer that Bunny's heart gave a funny little lurch and the smile that had previously been gracing his fuzzy whiskered muzzle, faltered just the tiniest bit.

"Yeah, Jack, I _know _that it means you could drop by the Warren whenever you wanted, that's why I gave it to ya'."

Jack stayed silent and bowed his head to trace the engravings with one slender finger.

"I figured I could trust ya' with it," Aster added.

"You can," Jack burst out suddenly as he jerked his head upwards to meet Bunny's eyes, "You can!"

Aster's brow furrowed for a split second and then he smiled as reassuringly as he knew how and said, "I _know, _Jackie, _really_."

And though Aster could not tell if it was because of what he'd said, the way he'd said it, or even how many times he'd said it, Jack finally seemed to understand the implications of the gesture and he grasped the little stone tightly and with eyes glittering with unshed moisture, he smiled and said, "Thank you."

Pleased that his gift had been appreciated but uneasy with the almost tears of the younger Guardian, Bunny smiled sheepishly and clapped Jack warmly on the back.

"Yer welcome, you little imp. Now come on, you wanna head down to the Warren, or you wanna stand about gabbing all day?"

Jack, still over-awed by the whole thing, looked at Bunny with a slightly dazed but thoroughly genuine smile and nodded his agreement. Then only seconds before Bunny could bring his big foot down upon the ground to open up a tunnel, he shot out one hand and yelped, "Wait!"

Startled, Bunny froze immediately and looked questioningly down at Jack.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

Jack shook his head and grinned shyly.

"Nothing, it's just….can I try?"

Bunny's long ears twitched in confusion and then he laughed heartily and took one long step back.

"Yeah, course you can Jack," he said obligingly and gestured towards the ground, "have a go."

Jack's smile morphed from bashful to elated more swiftly than Aster had ever thought possible and within seconds Jack was holding his newly acquired summoning stone tightly in one hand and, in surprisingly (and comically) formal terms, was commanding it to create a tunnel by which he and his friend could travel to the Warren. Not wanting to put a damper on Jack's moment, but absolutely tickled by his formality, Aster schooled his features into a mask of earnest approval and waited patiently for the tunnel to open up. Only once the tunnel had appeared and Jack was exuberantly soaring down it towards the Warren, did Aster finally allow the amused grin that he had been studiously holding back to blossom unchecked across his features.

* * *

The moment that Jack landed in the Warren, his interest was immediately drawn to the still growing little egg flowers which he had helped to plant.

In his eyes, they were one of the loveliest crops of anything that he had seen in a long time and he was almost as invested in their development as he had been in any of the crops of his former life.

Not wanting to harm them by exposing them overly much to his perennially frigid temperature, Jack hovered nearby and tilted his head this way and that, inspecting the raised little mountains of dirt and nodding in satisfaction at what he saw. There wasn't much visible proof that the googie flowers were coming along nicely but Bunny, who had a much more practiced eye than Jack, had said that they were doing just that and so, Jack had nodded sagely and hummed his agreement.

For the second time in only a spare number of minutes, Aster was forced to bite the inside of his cheek to prevent the burgeoning smile that threatened to betray his amusement. As it was, he was not entirely successful, but because the hint of a smile that did appear was soft and fond and not likely to offend, it was no great disaster.

After Jack's charming, if not entirely effective, inspection of the flowers, Aster waved him over to his side and began to point out all the tell-tale little signs of his crops' successful growth, which to the untrained eye were more than easy to miss. He was careful to phrase his words so that there was never any indication that he did not believe Jack to have already noticed these very same signs and Jack, eyes bright with excitement, never gave him any indication that he had not. Encouraged by Jack's enthusiasm, Aster continued to speak passionately about the state of the crops and before too long, they were sitting side by side upon a pair of good sized boulders and Bunny was dropping handfuls of dirt into Jack's hand so that Jack could feel what dirt felt like when it had achieved the most optimal levels of moisture saturation.

As he did so, little sparkles of memory flashed through Jack's mind and he was reminded of a time from a long time ago when a tall, dark haired man had uttered to him some of the very same words and in the very same way. Whether he was trying to distract himself from the memory or add to it, Jack didn't know, but either way, just as Bunny was taking his next breath, Jack interjected and asked him, "Where did you _learn _all this."

Bunny barely missed a beat, but the lightness in his voice seemed a little forced when he answered, "My father, mostly."

Jack perked up immediately; he'd never heard Bunny speak about a family.

"Your father?"

Bunny eyed him a little warily, but he answered all the same.

"Yeah, mate, my father, why so surprised?"

Jack backpedalled a little nervously, Bunny seemed edgy and Jack didn't understand why.

"Oh it's nothing, it's just—you've never talked about any family—I—I didn't know…."

Jack wasn't entirely sure how he had intended to finish that sentence but the tense wary expression on Bunny's face dissolved a bit so he figured he'd said something right.

"Anyway," he continued with a nervous clearing of his throat, "you were saying; your father taught you…."

Bunny's bright green eyes lingered heavily upon Jack's for a moment longer, seemingly evaluating the motives of the younger Guardian, but after a moment of careful consideration, he appeared satisfied by whatever it was he had found and he nodded slowly and affirmed his previous answer.

"Uh, yeah, my dad taught me most of this stuff, well and my brothers."

Jack's eyes sparkled in amazement.

"You have brothers?"

Bunny's eyes skittered away from Jack's momentarily and then he smiled a thin consoling smile.

"Well, um, actually, Jack, my brothers have passed on and uh, dad as well."

A blush exploded over Jack's cheeks and mortified, he begged for Bunny's forgiveness.

Waving his hands placatingly in the air, Bunny shook his head and assured Jack that he had totally understood that Jack had meant no offense.

"Jackie—Jackie, don't worry about it, really, I'm not offended, mate, there's absolutely no way you coulda' known any a' that. Seriously, I'm not mad, it's all right."

Inwardly cringing at having brought up not only a dead father but apparently, dead brothers as well, Jack ran a hand nervously through his hair and exhaled loudly.

"I know, Bunny, it's just, I feel rotten about it anyway. I mean….your brothers….and….I understand if you don't wanna…."

Now genuinely upset by Jack's distress, Bunny gave him a reassuring smile and replied, "Seriously, Jack, it's all right. I don't mind talking about 'em." The last part hadn't been completely true, there were definitely some memories of his family which he minded very much to speak about, especially after his current string of troubled nights, but when the scope of the conversation was limited mostly to agriculture and his education therein, Aster found (to his mild surprise) that he honestly _didn't_ mind speaking about them to Jack.

Nevertheless, in spite of his assurances, Jack still seemed a little skeptical, so Aster simply forged ahead and assumed that the sprite would catch up.

"Anyway, like I said, it was my dad who taught me most of what I know about farming. He used to take me out when I wasn't much more than a kit, walk me around the fields explaining this or that, you know, the broad strokes; plowing and planting, and then when I got older he moved on to the more specific stuff like exactly how much sunlight and water the crops oughta get, when to harvest, the best time to plant, you know, specifics."

Nodding his head along with Bunny's explanation, Jack realized that he did know and suddenly he blurted out, "That's what my dad did too."

Bunny smiled, he'd suspected that Jack had come from a farming family; no one was that good with a plow without practice, but this was the first time he'd heard proof of it. Just as eager to hear about Jack's family as Jack was to hear about his, Bunny smiled encouragingly and urged him to continue.

Apparently, Jack needed very little provocation to expound upon his early life and without further prompting he proceeded to tell Bunny all about how his father had once taught him how to plant and how to plow, how to yoke an ox and how to nurse sickly little seedlings into strong, vibrant crops. And then, wandering away from the topic of agriculture, Jack began to speak excitedly of how his father had taught him other things too; like how to split wood and how to say his prayers and the longer Jack talked, the more Aster began to understand three very important things. One; that Jack missed his father very dearly. Two; that this was likely the most he'd remembered about his beloved 'Pa' in centuries and three; that he'd chosen to share these precious recollections with someone who until fairly recently had only begrudgingly given him the time of day.

Upon realizing these things, Aster was both touched and heartbroken. He couldn't fathom living without the memories of his own family, even the bad ones and he wondered how it was that Jack had been able to survive all those years bereft of even his most basic memories.

Beyond the heartache he felt for Jack, Aster was also struck with a profound feeling of sadness and longing for his own father. He wasn't surprised by it, it was almost expected that any conversation about fathers would inevitably remind Aster of how relatively few years he had been allotted with his father, but knowing it would come didn't make it hurt any less. And as Jack went on and on about how his Pa had once taken him aside and divulged to him the secrets of the delicate and daunting art of conversing properly with a pretty girl, Aster found himself listening with rapt and almost envious attention. He wondered what it might have been like to have such a conversation with his own dear father and not for the first time, he lamented the fact that Abel Bunnymund had died long before his youngest son had reached the age at which such weighty and worldly matters were seen fit to be discussed.

But even as such melancholy and wistful thoughts drifted just beneath the surface, Aster's main attention was kept fully on Jack and Jack's stories, because if the young Guardian was going to do him the honor of sharing with him his long lost memories, then Aster was sure as Hell going to listen.

For his part, Jack was almost unaware that he even remembered all of the stories he was sharing. Rather, it was if the memories were materializing as he spoke them and that the more he talked, the more they came. It was wonderful and beautiful and a little bit scary and a part of him was appalled that he was sharing so much of himself with another living being. But he feared that if the words stopped coming then so too would the memories and so he kept speaking. And besides, Bunny seemed completely enthralled by his stories and if there was one thing that Jack Frost loved, it was an audience.

* * *

They continued to talk while sitting on the stones just beyond Aster's fields, while rising and making their way to the cottage and even while they devoured a delicious lunch consisting mostly of cool, sweet foods which Aster had selected specifically because of Jack's fondness for them.

Jack was by far, doing the majority of the talking, but here or there, Aster would throw in a story or two and as a result, the conversation never felt one-sided. Instead, the give and take felt exactly proportional to what each one was capable of giving. Jack, who was naturally loquacious, spoke more and Bunny, who tended to be more reserved, spoke less. The way in which Bunny's father had died was never revealed but from what Jack could piece together, he had died when Bunny had been fairly young. For this, Jack was beyond sorry but he felt an undeniable kinship with Bunny in light of this tragedy and in some small way, the pain of losing his own father felt just a little less overwhelming.

It was with considerable regret that Jack Frost left the Warren that night and if the look on Bunnymund's face as he departed was any indication, the feeling was mutual.

The pair of them agreed to meet again soon and as Bunny waved goodbye from the mouth of a tunnel he was more than a bit surprised to find himself positively flush with a feeling that felt an awful lot like fraternal affection.

And later, as he prepared himself for his daily foray, he wondered if maybe sometime soon, Jack might like to join him on one.

* * *

_**A/N: **_Well, there it is my lovelies, I sincerely hope you enjoyed it and I very sincerely thank all of you for reading! I know the big break between updates can be frustrating, so thanks in advance to any and all of y'all who've stuck with me. Also, a big thanks and hello to any new readers out there and of course a huge thank you to all y'all who've reviewed! I usually try to respond to each and every one of y'all who've taken the time to drop me a note but since the work came a' pouring in, I'm afraid I've gotten a little behind, but that doesn't mean that I don't greatly appreciate each and every one. Seriously, writing is pretty intimidating for me and the kindness and encouragement I've gotten from y'all is beyond exhilarating.

Thank you.

Here's hoping there's still an interest for this little fic and that you'll stay tuned for what's next!

_**Next time: **__Jack discovers that there's more to the Easter Bunny than Easter and Aster wonders when he'll ever get a decent night's sleep._


	10. Decisions and Mistakes

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" nor any of the characters who appear in "Rise of the Guardians," I just like to play with 'em every once in a while. Bunny and all "Rise of the Guardians" characters belong to William Joyce and DreamWorks Animation.

_**A/N: **_This chapter doesn't really need a lot of explanation, it kind of sets itself up, so, I'll just say; here's chapter ten, hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Decisions and Mistakes _

_In which Bunny makes a decision and realizes a mistake and Sandy does one but not the other_

The next day started off very much like the one before it; Aster awoke, startled and confused and half-mired in a nightmare world of his greatest fears. That morning, the vision was of a terrible future in which he had failed to bring Easter to the children and all had been lost. The Warren had been destroyed and this time he had not been strong enough to bring it back, Hope and Spring had never come and the children who he had sworn to protect had looked past and run through him. Even the Guardians, who had once been his closest allies, were disgusted by his failure and instead of rallying to his side; they had despised him and cast him out.

For the second time in his life, Aster Bunnymund had been small and weak and completely alone as he faced the looming specter of oblivion.

It was a terrible, evil vision and it was so very real that as Aster breathlessly splashed his face with cold water from the bedside basin, he decided that it was time for him to ask for help.

For too long he had dealt with these terrors alone and while at first he had sincerely believed them to be just another episode of a problem which had plagued him for years, now he was becoming increasingly convinced that something much worse was going on.

These nightmares were too real, too vivid and with every day that passed, they become more and more unlike anything Aster had ever experienced.

He had begun to fear that Pitch was involved and though his pride rebelled at the very thought of it, he could no longer deny the possibility. He was not as powerful as he'd once been and neither was his Warren. As distasteful as it was for him to admit; if Pitch was out to get him, there was very little standing in his way. He needed to talk to Sandy and he needed to do it now, because if Pitch really was up to something, the longer he went unchallenged, the more trouble there'd be in the end.

And so, even though he knew that taking Sandy into his confidence might involve sacrificing a bit of his privacy and maybe even a bit more of his pride, he nevertheless forewent his morning breakfast and set out in search of the Guardian of Dreams.

He had a pretty good idea of where the little fellow got off to at that hour, but even still; it took him a few tries to get it right. Eventually though, he managed to track him down deep within the heart of old Paris and after exchanging a few words of greeting, Bunny asked in an awkward, nervous way, if Sandy might have the time to discuss something of considerable importance with him.

Surprised and plenty concerned by Bunny's impromptu visit and grave expression, Sandy agreed to speak with him immediately and Bunny, relieved that at least _that_ part of his task was completed, smiled gratefully and scampered up to join Sandy upon the roof of an impossibly beautiful chapel.

Once there, the two Guardians allowed a few moments of silence to pass between them; Bunny, because he was preparing his words and Sandy, because he was girding himself for whatever dire news was coming next.

Finally though, Bunny took a great, deep breath, marshaled his resolve and told Sandy everything.

He told him that since his family had died, he had periodically suffered from intense and terrible nightmares. He told him that they were exactly what one might expect from a being who had witnessed the destruction of his own people and that while they were never pleasant, they were nevertheless a part of life that Aster had long become accustomed to.

At that, Sandy had looked both shocked and saddened but before he could ask even a single question, Bunny had doggedly continued.

He told Sandy that lately, he had been experiencing nightmares of incredible intensity and disturbing frequency. He confessed that he was not sleeping and that without his usual number of believers to buoy his waning strength, the exhaustion was beginning to take its toll. He professed that he felt slow and weak and thoroughly devoid of his usual endurance. Then he admitted that while at first, he had assumed that it was simply another go around with an age-old problem, of late, he had begun to suspect that it was something much worse-that it was Pitch.

Unsurprised that Bunny had come to that conclusion but a little disturbed by the other things which he had been told, Sandy asked, with a series of flickering images, why Bunny had not come to him sooner.

Having anticipated the question, Bunny answered immediately.

"I've had nightmares for years," he told Sandy quickly, "and until recently, these felt pretty much the same. I just didn't think they were anything to worry about."

"No," Sandy clarified, "why didn't you come to me sooner about the _nightmares_?"

Bunny looked perplexed for a moment and then tried again.

"I'm telling ya, Sandy; I didn't come to ya' sooner because I just figured they were the same old same old. I didn't think that there was anything wrong and maybe it's a little stupid, but I didn't think that Pitch could really touch me even if he wanted to. But now…the nightmares are too getting real, too persistent. I'm slowing down and every day it's getting worse and I'm afraid that maybe I've made a big mistake her-."

"No," Sandy interrupted sternly, "Why didn't you come to me about the nightmares before?"

Bunny's ears drooped uncertainly and a bit of frustration crept into his tone as he answered.

"I don't—I don't understand what yer asking me, Sandy."

Sandy sighed and a barrage of images appeared above his head.

"I _know_ why it took you so long to get worried about Pitch," the images said, "but what _I'm_ asking is; why have you waited for _hundreds _of years to tell me that you suffer from nightmares?"

A furious blush swept up beneath Bunny's fur and he rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously.

"Aww, come on, Sandy—they're no big deal; just a couple of bad dreams is all. I never woulda' even come to ya' if I didn't think that Pitch was-."

Golden sand exploded above Sandy's head and Aster looked up in surprise to find Sandy shaking his head with determined ferocity.

"That is exactly what I'm talking about," the images fairly screamed, "nightmares are not _'no big deal.'_ They are terrible and painful and there is no reason for you to have suffered in silence for so long."

Bunny's long ears folded downwards in embarrassment and he struggled to find the words to reply. He could tell that Sandy was angry and he was sorry for it but he had only kept the nightmares to himself because it had simply never occurred to him to do otherwise. By the time Aster had made Sandy's acquaintance, his problems had been his own for so long that he had plumb forgotten that it had not always been so. As a result, he had no more thought of asking for help with the nightmares than he'd had of asking Sandy to pull the moon from the sky. It had just never dawned on him, but now, as Sandy's golden eyes ignited with passion, he was beginning to regret that. He had anticipated having to endure Sandy's ire about his reluctance to bring in another Guardian where Pitch was concerned, but it had definitely never occurred to him that his unwillingness to confide in Sandy about his usual nightmares might become such a terrible point of contention.

However, it most obviously had and unfortunately for Aster, he had no idea what to do about it. He had sought Sandy out because he needed his help and now an oversight which he had made centuries ago seemed poised to ruin everything. Desperate not to alienate the golden Guardian, Bunny thought fast and swallowed his pride.

"All right, Sandy. Yer right, it was stupid of me not to say anything and I'm sorry—but that's not what's important right now, what's important is that I think Pitch is up to something and I need your help to figure it out."

Sandy's tirade halted almost immediately and his eyes softened with concern. He hadn't meant to lambast the younger Guardian; he'd only wanted him to know that he needn't have suffered alone. But somewhere along the line, that message had gotten lost in translation and apparently, now Bunny was afraid that Sandy wouldn't help him at all.

That had not been at all his intention and so, taking a deep breath and replacing his stern expression with a calm, gentle smile, Sandy told Bunny in no uncertain terms that things could not be farther from the truth.

"Don't worry," Sandy told him as clearly as he could, "Of course I'll help you figure this out. I only wish that it hadn't taken a potential assault from Pitch to get you to confide in me."

Bunny's ears drooped lower against his skull and he looked sheepishly away but Sandy waved a tiny hand beneath his eyes and redirected his attention back towards him.

"It's okay though," he assured Bunny carefully, "because I understand."

And he did, because Sandy understood that nightmares, like dreams, were peculiar creatures. They were both deeply personal and uniquely intimate and it was not unheard of or even abnormal for one to wish to hold them close and keep them private, particularly if someone was as predisposed towards privacy as Bunny.

So, yes, Sandy did understand. But even as he promised Bunny that he would indeed help him get to the bottom of things, he simultaneously told him once more that he still wished that Aster had confided in him sooner. They were friends after all, he reminded him and if the Master of Dreams couldn't occasionally help out a friend, then what good was he?

Bunny chuckled softly at that and Sandy reached out and placed a cautious hand against his shoulder.

"You can trust me," he vowed silently, "Just say the word and I will be only too happy to help."

The hesitant smile which had been playing precariously upon Bunny's muzzle suddenly fell away and for the second time that night, he had no idea what to say. He was amazed and embarrassed and touched all at the same time and as he fiddled nervously with his gauntlets, he realized that whether he'd intended to or not, he had sent Sandy the message that he didn't trust him.

Obviously, Bunny regretted this misunderstanding immensely and as he turned the situation over and over within his mind, he tried desperately to find the words to tell Sandy that very thing. But for as much as he wanted to assuage Sandy's hurt feelings and undo whatever damage he had done, he just couldn't seem to find the words. He had been prepared to deal with disapproval or even anger from Sandy, had the other found fault with the way he'd handled the possibility of a threat from Pitch, but he had not, in any way prepared himself for dealing with hurt feelings.

He was completely at loss and if Sandy hadn't suddenly smiled and patted him comfortingly upon the back, he might have sat there tongue-tied and troubled all night. But as it was, Sandy _did_ pat him sympathetically upon the back and so he hadn't.

Instead, he had watched gratefully as Sandy had outlined his plan of assessment and attack.

First, Sandy declared, he would accompany Bunny back to the Warren and search the area for any signs of Pitch or his Nightmares. Then, regardless of what was found, he would furtively keep watch over the Warren and Bunny's cottage on that and a few random nights in the future.

It was good plan; simple and straightforward and though Bunny was not particularly enthusiastic about having an audience while he slept, he was far too worried about being a pawn in Pitch's game to do anything other than agree to the plan immediately.

And so, after Sandy had finished up a bit of work on the Emerald Isle, he returned to the Warren with Bunny and conducted a thorough inspection.

To their mutual surprise; he found nothing. There was not a trace of Pitch or his Nightmares anywhere and though in theory it was a propitious discovery, Bunny couldn't help but look upon it with a bit of dread. To him, it was less indicative of the benignity of the situation than it was of Pitch's heightened cunning. When, however on the first evening of Sandy's surveillance, neither Pitch nor his Nightmares appeared and Bunny still slept almost as fitfully as the night before, the two Guardians were perplexed.

It was at once both encouraging and disheartening. On the one hand, it could mean that there was no looming threat from Pitch and that Bunny really was only suffering from a reoccurrence of an age old problem. On the other hand, it could also mean that the stress of the situation had conspired to induce nightmares even when Pitch was absent and as such, did nothing to appease their concerns.

In the event of the first case, Sandy could only hope that the dear, stubborn rabbit would finally permit him to do something to help. And in the event of the second, there was nothing they could do except to continue to search and hope that soon, their efforts would be rewarded with real answers.

To that end, they decided to move forward with the next phase of their plan. In this phase, Sandy would continue to watch over Bunny and the Warren but instead of arriving every night, he would disperse his visits randomly and not even Bunny himself would be informed of when he was arriving.

The hope was, of course, that by maintaining an unpredictable schedule, Pitch might be more easily caught off-balance and he would either resume his regular activities and be caught in the act or be deterred from even trying by the threat of encountering Sandy.

Either way; it would be a tense couple of days and though the majority of the work was to fall upon Sandy's shoulders, Bunny was not without his own responsibilities.

Chief among these was his assignment to _relax_.

Over and over, Sandy urged the younger Guardian to take some time for himself and decompress. It would be impossible, Sandy told him, to accurately identify the source of his distress if he allowed the anxiety of the situation to continually affect the results of their experiments. In other words; he needed to do all that he could to ensure that when he slept, it was as natural a sleep as possible.

At that suggestion, Aster had rolled his eyes and snorted in frustration but when Sandy had lifted an eyebrow in gentle admonition, he had immediately heaved a sigh of defeat and nodded in acquiescence.

He would try; he'd promised Sandy, and the other Guardian, who was well aware of the reliability of Aster's assurances, had smiled with satisfaction and considered the matter closed.

After that, Sandy had carefully touched upon the topic of when and if the other Guardians must be informed and Bunny, with the air of one resigned to an unenviable fate, had offered to tell them all at once. It had not been the response that Sandy had expected and he believed it was a testament to how disturbed Bunny was by the whole affair that he had even suggested it. But, for as gallant as Bunny's offer was, Sandy did not believe that it was entirely necessary just yet. Thus far, they had found little evidence of Pitch's involvement and if it turned out that the source of Aster's distress was coming from within rather than without, then there was little reason to involve the other Guardians.

Obviously, a threat from Pitch was something they'd all need to be informed of but a private problem with nightmares was another matter altogether. Unless the situation somehow constituted a threat against the children, Aster was in no way obligated to inform the others of his affairs and until Sandy had sufficient proof that this situation did _indeed _constitute a threat, he was loath to reveal young Aster's most private demons to the scrutiny of others.

After all, he knew how difficult it had been for Bunny to confide in him in the first place and the last thing Sandy wanted to do was to give him a reason to regret it. If or when, it became apparent that Pitch was involved, Sandy would recommend that the other Guardians be told but until that time, he was happy to keep the matter between himself and Bunny.

Later, that decision would come back to haunt him, but at that moment, when Aster's eyes had sparkled with such earnest gratitude and naked relief that Sandy's heart had fairly constricted in his chest, the possibility of it ever doing so, never even crossed his mind. He was far too enthralled with the rare pleasure of witnessing an uncharacteristically unguarded Bunnymund and even more so by the fact that in that tender moment, the towering Pooka suddenly reminded Sandy keenly of the tiny, wandering, fluff-ball to whom he had once sent his sweetest of dreams.

But Aster was no longer that scared little Pooka and though he felt as if he should not be looking a gift horse in the mouth, he took a deep breath and asked Sandy if he was sure.

At first, Sandy gave him a queer, startled little look but after a second of consideration, his lips curled upwards in a gentle smile and he assured Bunny that he was positive. Then, before Bunny could utter another word, Sandy patted him reassuringly upon the shoulder, asked him one last time not to worry and promised that soon, they would get to the bottom of everything. Sandy's quiet confidence was like a salve on Bunny's rankled nerves and as he basked in the soothing comfort of a friendly touch, Bunny felt a little bit of his own weariness melt away. Too soon however, the hand was gone and Sandy was bidding him a fond farewell.

Genuinely grateful for everything that Sandy was doing for him and a touch overawed by it all, Bunny flashed him the widest and brightest smile that he could manage and waved good-bye.

Within moments, Sandy was out of sight and Bunny was left alone, in the Warren, with nothing but his anxious thoughts to keep him company. It was maddening how little information they had managed to gather and the more Bunny thought about it all—the more exasperating it became. Before too long, those maddening thoughts became positively riotous and Bunny was stuck tending a headache and wondering how he was ever going to relax enough to ensure that his own wretched mood did nothing to disrupt the outcome of Sandy's tests.

At this point it didn't seem possible that it wouldn't and irritated by his inability to calm his worried mind, Bunny decided that perhaps some work might prove distracting. In that hope, he gathered himself up and made his way down to his chocolate room.

Once there, he cast about idly for a few minutes, searching for a project that might seize his interest and keep his mind away from other worries but nothing really seemed particularly arresting at just that moment. Feeling a bit defeated, Aster slumped down onto his work stool and leaned heavily upon the cold, hard surface of his workbench.

And then he saw Jack's box.

It was more than halfway completed and if Bunny had been in a bragging mood, he would have said that it was a ridiculously gorgeous piece that perfectly called to mind the very essence of Jack Frost.

And if truth be told; it did.

But Bunny was _not _in a bragging mood and instead of congratulating himself upon the unrivaled perfection of his creation, he found himself turning it over and over in his hands and thinking about how enjoyable his last visit from Jack had been.

Apparently, there really _was _something to all that 'Guardian of Fun' business because of late, every time Aster had seen Jack, he'd had a great time.

In fact, the last time he'd seen him, Bunny had been so excited about his visit that the anticipation alone had been enough to pull him out of his sour mood and then, when the little scamp had finally arrived, Bunny had been so thoroughly delighted by his company that not only had his mood retained its newfound buoyancy but he had even been able to talk about his family with only the slightest hint of agitation.

It was strange, the friendly visit had put him so much at ease that Bunny had hardly thought about the nightmares at all that day and though they had returned the very moment he had fallen asleep, Bunny had still considered the day to have been a rather refreshing respite.

Aster hummed in thought and tilted Jack's little casket this way and that. It really was a lovely thing, Bunny admitted to himself. Every angle was exact, every engraving-pristine and the colors were beyond resplendent. The silvers were as pure as the light of the moon and the blues were a glorious mélange of the most dazzling midnight blues that Bunny had been able to conjure. Between the intricacy of the engravings and the inherent beauty of the materials into which they had been worked, even half-completed, the box was nothing short of stunning.

Bunny smiled softly and set the curio down before him. He wondered if Jack was busy.

* * *

As it happened, he wasn't. In fact, as he'd told Bunny when Aster had invited him on the little excursion, he was so _not _busy that night, that'd he'd actually been afraid that he was going to be a little bored. Bunny got the distinct impression that Jack was exaggerating a tad but since it was clearly for his benefit, he saw no reason to argue.

Besides, he _wanted _Jack to come.

And luckily for him—so did Jack. So much so in fact that before Bunny's invitation had even fully left his mouth, Jack had giddily agreed to it. He hadn't even asked when Bunny was planning on leaving or what exactly they'd be doing—he'd simply smiled with ebullient joy and said 'yes'.

At his unabashed zeal, Bunny had laughed heartily and clapped the boy gently on shoulder. Then as Jack had peered up at him with rapt attention, he had explained a few of the details and within minutes everything was set.

It was agreed that they would meet later that night at the Warren and from there, they would set out.

Jack had offered to begin their trip right away, but Bunny, who was sure that Jack had other work to complete before he could help Aster with his, had demurred with a grin and a gentle reminder of that very fact to Jack. The younger Guardian, who in his excitement had evidently forgotten that little tidbit, had flushed a deep purple and sheepishly agreed. Not wanting the young sprite to mistake his friendly reminder for anything so severe as a reproach, Bunny had tousled the boy's hair affectionately and told him how excited he was that Jack would be coming along.

The compliment (which was one hundred percent true) effectively dispelled any of Jack's embarrassment and in a flash, the ecstatic grin which had dominated Jack's features a moment before, returned with a vengeance. Satisfied that his friend understood that he had meant no offense by his suggestion, Bunny had smiled once more and bid him adieu.

By the time Aster had returned to the Warren it had only been a few hours since Sandy's departure and even fewer since Aster had been miserably lamenting his inability to relax and yet as he'd puttered around the cottage, putting things together for his foray that evening, he found (to his considerable relief) that his mood was much improved.

Instead of worrying about nightmares and shadowy threats, he was focusing on _his job _and the agreeable prospect of spending some time with a friend. And as he went about his work, he discovered that without such dismal thoughts to weigh him down, time moved much more quickly. Before he knew it, the sun had fallen and he had only a few more hours to wait until Jack would arrive.

A part of him supposed that he ought to try and get some sleep before Jack appeared because he'd barely gotten any the night before and he was sure to need the energy tonight. But the greater part of him just didn't want to chance it. He was in such a good mood after all and if he tried to sleep and it didn't come or he slept and the nightmares came back, or he got _just _enough sleep to remind him of how tired he really was, he was liable to ruin it.

Of course, if he _didn't_ get some kind of rest, he'd be dead on feet in a few hours and _that _could be downright dangerous.

Bunny sighed and nuzzled his cheek into his own shoulder. None of those options were particularly attractive at the moment but a foul mood was probably less dangerous than a bad case of exhaustion. So, with a frustrated growl, he set aside his work and stomped irritably towards the bedroom.

But halfway there, a thought occurred to him and he turned sharply on his heel and strode backwards in the opposite direction.

He knew that he needed to get some rest but since he only had a few hours in which to do it in, he thought perhaps he might just settle for some dozing. It wasn't as recuperative as a solid block of sleep (which Bunny doubted he'd be able to achieve anyway) but it was considerably more attainable. Somehow, lying in bed and trying to force himself to sleep led to actual sleeping less frequently than just lying on the couch and reading a book or tinkering with some object. He suspected that it was because his activity distracted his brain just enough so that it couldn't fixate on how infuriating it was that he couldn't sleep, but whatever it was, it worked. Or at least it _had_ worked in the past and though it hadn't been working _lately_ it was still worth a shot.

He needed sleep after all and if nothing else was working either, he reckoned that he might as well try it, because even if it failed, he would at least get to catch up on his reading.

* * *

Bunny did _not_ catch up on his reading.

He found that unfortunately, his body had reached the point at which he was too tired to properly comprehend the words on the page but not yet tired enough to overcome his anxious mind and sleep. It was an exasperating limbo to be in but he could neither force himself to sleep nor will his enervated mind to suddenly regain its ability to process the written word.

Drawing wound him up too much and cards hovered right within that awkward region where they were both boring enough to annoy him and yet not quite boring enough to make him sleepy.

Lying quietly upon the couch and counting sheep didn't work either and neither did lying face down upon the couch with a pillow on top of his head. He wasn't exactly sure where he'd gotten the idea that the last one might, but at that point he was trying anything.

Eventually though, he decided that sleep would just not be forthcoming that night and with a couple of choice words, he stalked across the room and plucked his old banjo from its stand. Then he plopped himself down on the settee sideways so that his long legs half-dangled off one end and his head rested on the other, and settled in that way, he began to pick out the notes to the oldest and saddest songs he knew.

He barely needed to think, let alone see to do it; his fingers had committed every chord and strum to memory long ago, so, he tilted his head back onto the arm of the chair and let his eyes drift closed. As he did so, he felt the sudden stinging burn of hot eyelids against gritty eyes and he groaned.

He was _so_ tired.

Suddenly, a great lump of hopelessness welled up in his throat and a tingle of panic began to vibrate his nerves.

Aster hated that feeling.

It was the feeling of being helpless and hopeless and unchecked; it bred fear and frustration.

He refused to give in to it.

He took a deep breath and concentrated on finding the center of the music. He slowed his strumming and focused on the notes. He let them wash over and around him. He thought only of them and listened carefully to the way they blossomed and faded. He let them become longer and longer and as they did, he slowed his breathing to match. Every inhale and exhale coincided perfectly with the beginning and end of each chord and soon enough, little things like rhythm and tempo began to fell away until finally, Aster wasn't even playing a song anymore. He was just lazily picking out chords so that every note sang clear and true and then he was rolling on to the next.

It was hypnotic and after a while, his grip along the neck began to slacken and loosen and in order to keep the instrument from tipping over sideways, Bunny absently pulled it straight and rested the neck snuggly against his cheek. Then with his left hand still curled protectively around the body, the fingers of his right hand continued to amble lazily across the strings until at long last even they stilled.

The room descended into silence and Aster Bunnymund fell asleep.

* * *

A/N: Well, my friends, that there is chapter ten. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you'll read on to chapter eleven, because it's up now too!

Next time: _Pitch Black must alter the plan and Jack Frost discovers that there's more to the Easter Bunny than Easter._


	11. Who says the Easter Bunny only works one

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" nor any of the characters who appear in "Rise of the Guardians," I just like to play with 'em every once in a while. Bunny and all "Rise of the Guardians" characters belong to William Joyce and DreamWorks Animation.

_**A/N: **_This chapter doesn't really need a lot of set-up; it picks up pretty much right where the last one left off. So, in lieu of lengthy explanations, I'll simply put this here and say; here's chapter eleven, hope you enjoy!

Also, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Mists who helped inspire the content of this chapter! Thank you Mists!

* * *

_Who says the Easter Bunny only works one day a year?_

_In which the Easter Bunny does __not__ work just one day a year_

_It was hypnotic and after a while, his grip along the neck began to slacken and loosen and in order to keep the instrument from tipping over sideways, Bunny absently pulled it straight and rested the neck snuggly against his cheek. Then with his left hand still curled protectively around the body, the fingers of his right hand continued to amble lazily across the strings until at long last even they stilled. _

_The room descended into silence and Aster Bunnymund fell asleep._

Sadly, it was not a peaceful sleep.

Because it had been relatively early in the evening when Bunny had finally drifted off, the Sandman had not yet arrived and so, had been unable to intercept the Nightmares which had been keeping careful watch upon the Warren since earlier that day.

Thus, as Aster's exhausted body had finally yielded to sleep, the Nightmares had swept in and Bunny had, as on so many nights before, spent his precious few hours of rest re-living old traumas and re-opening old wounds. And while it was immensely gratifying for Pitch to know how painful those visions had been for Bunny, he was nevertheless far from pleased with the situation.

After all, he had hoped-been confident even-that Bunnymund's stubborn pride would have prevented him from seeking the help of the other Guardians, but apparently little Aster's confidence had been so shaken by Pitch's last assault that he'd already gone and gotten the Sandman involved and _that _was never a good thing. Pitch was going to have to be extra cautious and extra clever from here on out if he wished his plan to be successful and the luck, which had seen Bunnymund stricken with nightmares that were not of Pitch's doing, would need to hold out for just a bit longer.

The other Guardians weren't supposed to have become involved until it was far too late for them to affect his plans, but now, not only would Pitch need everything to go perfectly from here on out, but he would also need to make a few adjustments. Allowances for Sandy's involvement would need to be made and not for the first time, Pitch bemoaned the fact that that he'd had to wait so long to launch his attack on Bunnymund in the first place.

He was sure that if he had been able to begin sooner, if he had been able to strike when the rabbit had still been back on his heels from Easter, then things would have gone perfectly according to plan. He would have been able to make his move long before the other Guardians had even _begun _to suspect something was amiss and by now, he might well have already seen his plan successful.

_But_, he hadn't been ready then. He'd been too weak. So weak in fact,that he hadn't even been able fend off the Nightmares himself, let alone direct them towards another.

But now, he could. He had waited and waited and every day he had marshaled his strength and his fury and over time, he had finally hoarded enough that he had been able to turn on the Nightmares and bring them back beneath his thumb.

And now that he was once again their master, he fully intended on making good his revenge against all those who had once rendered him weak enough to have become their slave.

* * *

Tucking his summoning stone back into his pocket, Jack Frost soared gleefully down the tunnel to the Warren. It was a few minutes before midnight and though he knew he was a little early, he doubted greatly that Bunny would mind. The fastidious rabbit was always running early anyways so Jack doubted that a few minutes here or there would be a problem.

In fact, he half expected Bunny to congratulate him on his earliness because well, Bunny was just funny like that.

Yet, to Jack's great surprise, when he reached the cottage door and knocked enthusiastically, there was no answer.

Jack frowned and listened carefully for any sounds of movement within the cottage. The wind rustled gently through the Warren and distantly, Jack could hear the bubbling of the streams, but from the cottage, there was nothing.

How strange.

Even stranger; the door still hadn't opened after a second and third round of knocking.

The skin between Jack's eyes puckered in confusion and he stepped back to peer curiously at the windows of the cottage. Just as he was noting that at least one window was aglow with light, the front door swung open and Bunny appeared to wave Jack inside with tired, but welcoming smile.

"Hey, Bunny!" Jack chirped brightly as he bounced inside, "are you ready?" he asked with a grin.

Inwardly, Bunny winced at the brightness of Jack's voice but outwardly, he nodded jerkily and hid a yawn behind a large hand.

"Yeah, Jack," he answered mid-yawn, "just let me grab a few things and we'll be off."

Jack canted his head to the side and examined Bunny's features in the dim light; he looked tired. His fur was all tousled and his ears were drooping sloppily around his face. Had he just woken up? Jack stared up at him curiously but Bunny, who was already yawning again, this time with enough force that his eyes were watering; didn't seem to notice and turned to lead Jack onwards to the kitchen. A little surprised that Bunny seemed to have _just_ woken up but not entirely shocked because Bunny _had _looked pretty tired when they'd spoken that morning, Jack shrugged carelessly and fell into step behind him.

Neither spoke as they walked. Jack, because he was too busy thinking about how cool it was that Bunny had invited him along and Bunny, because not only was he nursing a splitting headache but he was also trying (unsuccessfully) to silence the echoes of his nightmares _and_ shake the fog of sleep from his mind.

By the time they arrived in the kitchen, he hadn't even succeeded in one but he work to do so, he gritted his teeth and got to it. He'd made sure to gather and arrange most of the supplies for their trip before he'd settled down to rest but there were still a couple of last minute items that he needed to prepare.

Among these was a bit of a snack for the road and with one more half-aborted yawn, he motioned to Jack and asked him to fetch a half-wheel of cheese from the larder, while he himself turned to pull a loaf of bread from the bread box.

Jack complied immediately with an exuberant smile that would have had Toothy's girls swooning where they fluttered and Bunny couldn't help but smile wanly but sincerely back. Then, standing at the great counter-top that dominated one wall of his kitchen, he reached into one of the many drawers and pulled out a pale yellow and blue kerchief, which he laid flat upon the counter and with a few quick knots, transformed into a simple but effective rucksack.

This he handed airily over to Jack and without even having to be asked, the boy plucked the bread and cheese from the counter, placed them in the center of the sack and handily fastened the final knots which would keep them secure. Bunny canted his head to the side and looked slightly impressed and Jack cocked an eyebrow and threw him a jokingly supercilious smile.

Immediately, Bunny rolled his eyes and snorted with amusement and Jack, always delighted to elicit such a reaction from serious old Bunny, broke his façade just as swiftly and laughed right along with him.

After that, Bunny felt considerably better. His head was still pounding and his body still felt like it was teetering on the edge of collapse but his spirit felt lighter and his heart less troubled. And as he watched Jack poke and prod at the great basket of supplies which sat upon the kitchen table, he felt his spirits lighten even further.

"What _is_ all this stuff, Bunny?" Jack piped as he inspected the many smaller baskets and packages that were nestled carefully within the deep bowl of the larger one.

"Goodies for the ankle-biters a' course," Bunny answered with a smile and a voice still rough from sleep.

"Goodies?" Jack asked with interest, "what kind of goodies?"

"Oh-well, all kinds; different stuff for different kids. Take this basket," he said as he patted a large basket filled to the brim with heavy bags of rice, flour and other staples, "this one is for a little family in Phoenix. Their mum's been under it for a while and without her income, they're having a hard time making ends meet. So, I make sure they get the essentials and they're able to stretch their dad's paycheck a little further. This week I got 'em some flour and rice and lots of fruits and veggies, googies and of course—plenty of chocolate! After all, ankle-biters cannot live on bread alone," he finished matter-of-factly.

Jack giggled and rolled his eyes.

"I don't think _chocolate_ is one of the major food groups, Bunny," Jack teased affectionately.

"Ahhh, but we're not just feeding their bodies, Jack," Bunny replied with a wink, "we're feeding their _souls."_

Again, Jack felt the urge to roll his eyes but then he considered Bunny's words a moment longer and he found, to his great surprise, that he could not. Because even though Bunny had said the words lightly and with an air of jest, he had meant them all the same and even more importantly; because in Jack's opinion they were true. So, instead of rolling his eyes, however affectionately he might have done it, Jack had smiled fondly and nodded in agreement.

For whatever reason, that simple gesture produced an unreasonably pleased reaction from Bunny and before Jack knew it, he was being regaled with detailed explanations about the contents of each and every little basket. Apparently, a good number of them were filled with staples for kids who might otherwise go hungry and some of these, which were bound for children living in agricultural communities, were even stocked up with the most robust and carefully cultivated staple seeds of that region.

The hope, Bunny explained, was that given time, the seeds might be used to generate a more reliable source of food for the struggling families, or if necessary even, sold at market for a good price.

But why, Jack wondered, if Bunny was going to go to all that trouble, did he not simply, _make _their dead crops grow? Or even better, just grow them crops whenever they needed it? To Jack it seemed like a much easier and far more far-reaching solution but Bunny had sadly shaken his head and replied that though he wished very much that he could, there were nevertheless rules that even _he _had to follow.

He explained that on Earth, as well as elsewhere, there was a time for everything and that everything had its time. As such, not even _he_ could bring Spring where there was Winter or Life where there was Death, _unless it was its time_. Otherwise, he would be disrupting the Natural Order and as the Guardian of Hope and New Life, he just couldn't do that.

He wasn't allowed.

Surprised by the gravity and candor of Bunny's explanation and touched by the depth of feeling that had laced his voice as he'd given it, Jack suddenly had a new understanding of Bunny's commitment to his duties.

Suddenly, all those vicious tongue-lashings that Jack had received for bringing untimely Winter when there should have been Spring made a lot more sense. And suddenly, Jack felt a whole lot worse about all the times he'd accused Bunny of being a stuck up, humorless, bore. He wondered just how much responsibility Bunny really carried on his shoulders and he wondered if perhaps these were the things which Bunny had been trying to tell him all those years ago when he'd first arrived to chase him away from an unseasonably frosty Spring day.

He supposed it no longer mattered; he was learning them now. But at the same time, he couldn't help but lament all those years which he and Bunny had wasted in being rivals.

Bunny however had no way of knowing these things and so he simply took Jack's pensive silence to mean that he had satisfactorily answered his question and moved on. He told Jack excitedly about some of the children they were going to visit; about how some of them he had visited before and what they were like and about how others were going to be a surprise even to him. At that, Jack had cocked his eyebrow inquiringly and asked how that was possible and Bunny had smiled mischievously and promised him that he would see.

By that time they had finished gathering their supplies and were already walking single file down one of Bunny's tunnels.

In the lead and shouldering the great basket full of goodies, was Bunny and just behind him, was Jack, who for his part was dutifully toting (and helping himself to) the provisions in the rucksack. It was a pleasant procession but after only a short amount of time, Bunny was slowing to a halt and dropping the basket down by his feet.

Apparently, they had reached their first destination and as Bunny began to scoop an armful of smaller baskets out from the deep basin of the larger one, he motioned for Jack to stand beside him.

"Here you go, Jackie," he said with a smile as he looped a few baskets over Jack's outstretched arm, "why don't you leave the bread and cheese here and help me carry these?"

"Okay," Jack agreed at once as he too began to drape the offered baskets across his arm, "but what are we doing? Are all these for one kid?"

"Ooh, if only," Bunny said with a wry smile, "but unfortunately, not even _I _can get away with giving this much candy to one kid all at one time; _Toothy would kill me_. However," he added with an air of facetious innocence, "it _is _totally within my rights as the Guardian of Hope to bring a'lotta kids a _little bit _of candy. Particularly," he said with a softer smile, "if they've been feeling a bit under it lately."

Suddenly, exactly where they were and what they were doing dawned on Jack and instantly a dazzling megawatt smile spread across his features.

This was going to be _awesome!_

* * *

As it turned out, it was even better than awesome.

Not only had Bunny brought along a little basket of goodies for every child on the ward, but he had also, apparently, tailor made them to suit not only the child's personal preferences but also any and every medical limitation that they might possess.

Awestruck, Jack had asked him how he had managed such a thing and Bunny had thrown him an enigmatic smile and said that some things, the Easter Bunny just _knew. _

Absently, Jack had wondered aloud if there were any things that Jack Frost _just knew _and Bunny had tilted his head curiously at him and said, "I don't know, are there?" Then he had opened a tunnel to the Warren and summoned up one armful after another of perfectly arranged flowers.

As he'd done so, Jack had ruminated seriously upon his question but after a while of watching Bunny summon up bouquet after bouquet of flowers, he finally asked him why, if he could just summon things from the Warren, he bothered to carry anything at all.

Bunny had replied that in the first place; he couldn't just summon _anything_; it had to be something that was already located in one of the portals (which obviously the flowers _had _been) and that in the second; he only ever summoned that which he could not carry by himself and since he was more than capable of toting about a couple of baskets, he didn't bother placing them in the portals.

Also, he'd told Jack, in that sensible, matter-of-fact way that he had, that the flowers were far too delicate to risk traveling with, no matter how short the distance and so, he'd used the portals. At that Jack had merely shrugged, figuring that Bunny knew best and the two of them had set about the business of doling out the gifts.

To Jack's surprise, for as large as the hospital was, it didn't take them long. Not because there weren't many children to be found, because there were but rather because, while the hospital was indeed quite large, it was not, (unfortunately) very wealthy. As such, almost none but the most virulently contagious children were allotted a room to themselves. The rest were laid out on neat, bantam beds along the walls of a series of long thin rooms, with naught but a simple plastic curtain between them.

Thus, all Bunny and Jack had to do to; was work their way along the lengthy line of beds, matching up the residing child with their pre-prepared gift and taking care not to disturb the plastic barriers between them. It was simple enough work for two as nimble as Bunny and Jack and in no time at all there was a cheery basketful of candies and a dazzling bouquet of flowers lovingly deposited upon every bedside table.

It was, in Jack's opinion, a truly marvelous sight and as he swept his gaze across it, he couldn't help but notice how much livelier the somber spaces had become upon the addition of a splash of color and a token of regard.

Sadly, Jack wasn't given much time to admire their handiwork, for almost the very second that they were done; Bunny was pulling him insistently back down into the rabbit hole.

A bit put out by their hasty departure, Jack had been on the verge of complaining but, just as he was about to part his lips and declare the unfairness of it all, Bunny had hefted his great basket back upon his shoulder and announced that they had better get a move on because they had _a lot _more children to visit.

Instantly, Jack's irritation dissipated into thin air and like that, they were off.

They went to villages and cities, suburbs and metropolises, farms and towns and everything in between. They delivered children from uncertainties both physical and mental and they left more gifts than Jack could count.

For the children who wondered from where their next meal might come there were fresh loaves of bread; perfect, massive wheels of cheese, enormous baskets brimming with fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals and pastas and of course, a great heaping of exquisitely decorated hardboiled eggs.

For the unhappy and heartbroken there were baskets full of sweets and breathtaking bouquets of flowers. And for the terrified, despairing children who they had discovered wandering lost, further and further away from home, there were bread-crumb trails of chocolates and fleeting glimpses of a snow and silver cottontail which together, led them all the way back to safety.

Some of the children, Bunny had planned on visiting and others, like the frantic, doe-eyed, girl in Dallas, they had found through the wonderful application of sheer luck and superior Pooka hearing. Some were tall and some were short, some were rich and some were poor, and some were weak and some were strong. They came from every walk of life and each and every one of them was special and unique.

But no matter how different they all were, or how disparate their particular needs might have seemed there was one thing that they all had in common. Every single one of them, at that moment in their life, needed something to remind them that all was not lost. That they were not alone, that someone cared, and that no matter how bleak things might look today, there was always hope for tomorrow.

And Bunny, whose devotion to his charges was almost palpable, did, with his every act and gesture, his level best to show them precisely that. Even when his own obvious exhaustion had begun to take its toll and even when the dangers inherent in his work had reared their ugly heads. Even _then_ his enthusiasm for his work had never waned and Jack could not deny that he was impressed.

It was one thing to bring gifts to a few children when you could soar through the air and go mostly unnoticed by all, as Jack could, but it was quite another thing to bring countless numbers of gifts to children whilst dealing with angry dogs, trigger happy farmers and apparently one's own debilitating exhaustion. But even when he was running headlong into a wolf infested forest, or dodging double barrels full of rock salt, Bunny's blazing avidity for his tasks never wavered.

He might have been yawning constantly and his words might have begun to slur somewhere around the second hour that they'd been out, but not once had he groused and not once had he pursued his tasks with anything less than the greatest of enthusiasm. Not when he had been forced to employ vicious full body shakes to dispel the encroaching fatigue and not when his almost preternatural grace had begun to deteriorate into an alarmingly uncharacteristic clumsiness.

Even _then _his enthusiasm had not been shaken and by that, Jack was impressed….and more than a little concerned. Because as awesome as it was to watch the big Pooka soldiering on so heroically, it could also never be denied that they were engaging in some fairly dangerous activities and should Bunnymund's focus or agility wander too far off the mark, he could _really_ get hurt. And since Jack was not at all eager to spend the rest of his day pulling buckshot out of his friend's adorable little cottontail, he was more than a trifle relieved when Bunny had finally announced that they had but one more stop to make.

* * *

By then Bunny had looked about two steps away from collapsing but no matter how many times Jack asked him if everything was all right, the older Guardian would say little more than that he was 'a mite tired,' or some other equally vague and uninformative variation thereof.

Eventually, Jack began to get annoyed with Bunny's stubborn evasiveness and Bunny, with Jack's stubborn persistence. Not just because the nightmares were a slightly awkward subject but also because until Jack had brought up how tired Bunny seemed, Bunny had been doing a pretty decent job of forgetting about them for a while. However, the very second that the boy had begun to ask Bunny if he was doing all right, everything that Bunny had been pointedly ignoring came rushing back and he found himself struggling to keep his thoughts from descending into worry and dread.

And _that_ was doing nothing for his mood. So, when he once again responded to Jack's inquiries with the clipped response of "I'm just a little tired," and Jack had rolled his eyes and snapped back an impressively venomous, "Well, _obviously_," Bunny had reacted no better and had instantly pinned Jack with a sharp, furious glare.

Almost at once, Jack had backed off. Not necessarily because he was actually afraid that Bunny might strike him or something but rather because he realized that such a belligerent approach would get him absolutely nowhere with Bunny. He was still concerned for his friend (and plenty annoyed with him) but if Jack had learned anything during these past few months; it was that if you wanted _anything_ from Bunny, the best approach was almost always the earnest approach. Bunny didn't respond well to antagonism and he _didn't _respond well to sarcasm. So, after a couple of beats of a not quite comfortable silence, Jack tried a different tack.

This time, instead of pointing out how tired he seemed (which had seemed to annoy the Pooka), Jack had merely looked up at his friend and said, "I wasn't trying to be a brat and I get that maybe it's none of my business, but I was just worried, that's all, I thought maybe I could help."

Abruptly, the harsh line of Bunny's shoulders had dissolved and the fearsome scowl had melted into shamefaced guilt. Then with a deep, frustrated sigh, Bunnymund had tilted his head back and dug a clawed hand into the scruff of his neck.

"I'm sorry, Jackie," he said tiredly, "I didn't mean to snap. You were just being a mate and I almost took yer head off and….I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

Jack frowned and shrugged unconcernedly.

"It's all right. I was just worried that's all-I didn't mean to be a pest."

Bunny's shoulders sagged even more and he tilted his head slightly to catch Jack's eyes.

"No, it's not all right," he said sternly, "and you are _not_ a pest; you've been a prince all night and you asked _one_ question and I lost it. But I'm sorry, really, I just—I haven't been sleeping well and…I guess I'm just getting a little….crabby."

Jack smiled cautiously at the apology but peered curiously up at the weary features of his friend.

"Are you sure?" He asked carefully.

For a second, something like want flickered across Bunny's face and he looked just poised to say something important, but then, just as swiftly as it had come, the look went away and suddenly a tired and even remorseful smile was drifting across his features.

"Yeah, Jack," he breathed reluctantly, "I'm sure. Now come on, we've only got one more family to visit and then we're done for the night."

Intrigued by the brief and sudden flash of….something that had flitted over Bunny's features, Jack stayed rooted to the spot and stared curiously after Bunny for another moment or two. Then, with a shake of his head and a promise to himself that he would figure it all out eventually, Jack picked up his feet and trotted to catch up with Bunny, who, wishing to ameliorate any lingering hurt feelings; promptly snagged the back of Jack's hood and flipped it down playfully over his face.

Squawking indignantly but sincerely relieved to feel the heavy mood lifting away, Jack flipped the hood back down around his shoulders and as he looked up to find Bunny throwing him a contrite and conciliatory smile, he hip-checked the rabbit with as much force as he was able.

What followed was a stunning regression into adolescence for Bunny and a good bit of business as usual for Jack. There was good natured taunting and light-hearted shoving and by the time they arrived beneath their last stop of the night; the unpleasantness from a moment ago, and indeed the only black spot on an otherwise brilliant outing, seemed well put behind them.

Or at least it was for Jack.

The very moment that Bunny had looked down at him with that hopefully apologetic smile, he'd completely forgiven him of everything but Bunny, who was considerably better at holding a grudge when he thought someone had acted wrongly, was, in spite of his cheery demeanor, still stewing.

He couldn't _believe _that he had reacted so poorly to Jack's concern and he was positively ashamed of himself. Between insulting Sandy in the morning and snapping at Jack tonight, he was really batting a thousand and he just couldn't stop wondering what in the world was wrong with him.

Was he really _this bad_ at dealing with people or was it just the situation? A part of him wanted to believe that it was the lack of sleep, the pounding headache and the overall stress but the better part of him argued that those were just excuses and that he knew damn well why he'd been mucking things up with people left and right; because he was _terrible _at admitting when he needed help.

And….there was something else. Something that he couldn't quite put his finger on, but that he knew _must _be there; something that he was forgetting or ignoring, something that for the life of him, he just couldn't figure out. It was confusing and infuriating and it was made all the worse by the disorientation of extreme fatigue. Not only was his head pounding, but his mind felt fuzzy and slow and like everything was underwater. It was taking everything he had to keep himself awake and alert and he just didn't have anything left with which to puzzle the mystery out.

But he _did _have a job to do and good friend beside him who didn't deserve to once again bear the brunt of his bad mood. So, instead of dwelling on it in the vain hope that his frazzled and burnt out mind could decipher what was going wrong, he deliberately put it to the back of his mind, promised himself he would suss it all out later and tried to allow himself to enjoy what was left of his night.

After all, he'd have all day to worry about his problems but only a little while longer to enjoy the very best part of his job; bringing a bit of hope to a child in need.

Or as it was in the case of the family who lived just above his current tunnel; three children.

* * *

A/N: Well, there it my lovelies! Hope you enjoyed it! I've been on holiday for a while and for me that means two things. One; that I've got a lot more time to write and two; that I have a lot more time to agonize over every little word, wallow in indecision and just generally do silly things like completely scrap thirty odd pages of a story because it _just doesn't feel right. _

It's a terrible habit, I know and I promise you that I and my lovely (and patient!) doctors are desperately working on it.

On the bright side however, I've really been trying to be more decisive, set deadlines and just _let go _a bit, so, fingers-crossed, I'll keep getting better.

Anywho, thanks to any and all of those kind souls who're still sticking with me and a happy hello to any and all new readers.

I hope y'all are doing well, and for those who are also on holiday; I hope you're resting and having a great time!

Also, I must give a shout out to Mists who very accurately anticipated exactly what the boys would get up to in this chapter. I must admit that I was on the fence about which kids they might visit here. I was actually going to cut quite a few of them from the chapter but Mists' suggestions made me decide to keep the ones I had originally planned, so in a very real way, Mists' suggestions helped inspire me greatly.

_Next time: The boys' last stop._

_BG:_Thank you so very much for your kind review. I'm so glad that you're enjoying it and I just wanted to let you know how much your kind words meant to me. Thank you again-and, I'm glad you found the story too.

Mists: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As I'm sure you noticed, we think along very similar wavelengths. Thank you for the inspiration.


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